The White House announced Saturday that President Biden will address graduates at historically black Howard University in Washington D.C. on May 13.
The president will also deliver the commencement address to graduates at the United States Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado, on June 1, the White House announced.
Mr. Biden recently awarded academy football players the Commander-in-Chief Trophy after the Air Force Falcons beat the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy in football games and compiled a 10-3 record.
As he presented the trophy, Mr. Biden leaked his plans to deliver the graduation’s keynote address.
“You’re going to get stuck with me being your commencement speaker,” Mr. Biden said jokingly.
Howard University is the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris. The Biden administration has focused attention and money on the nation’s historically black colleges. The president has appointed prominent Howard alumni to prestigious positions in his administration, recently tapping Howard Law Professor John Woods to the Federal Labor Relations Authority Foreign Service Impasse Dispute Panel.
The Department of Education has pumped $6 billion into historically Black colleges since 2021, according to the White House.
The last president to speak at Howard was President Obama, who delivered the commencement address in 2016.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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