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President Biden declared on Saturday that white supremacy is “the most dangerous terrorist threat to our country,” telling a predominantly black audience that the “evil He warned that “forces” were seeking to reverse generations of racial progress in the United States.
Biden never mentioned former President Donald J. Trump in his sometimes solemn commencement address to Howard University graduates, historically the most prestigious black university in the country. . But he alluded to Trump’s past remarks, linked him to racist elements in American society, and suggested that the fledgling presidential campaign would determine whether justice triumphs over hate, fear and violence.
“There are people who demonize people and put them against each other,” Mr. Biden said. “And there are those who will do anything, no matter how desperate or immoral, to stay in power. You may believe that the most evil forces will decide America’s future, but they are wrong.We will decide America’s future.You will decide America’s future.”
Dressed in a blue and white school uniform, the president sought to engage young graduates in what he presented as the cause of the moment. He cited the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 to spark widespread protests against police brutality and sympathize with black drivers who fear being stopped by police. expressed.
“Fearless advances towards justice often meet with ferocious backlash from the oldest and most evil forces,” he said. “Because hate never goes away. When we graduated, we thought we could overcome hate. But it never goes away.”
Similarly, Mr. Biden said he “hoped that fear, violence and hatred would abate significantly after the election and re-election of the first black American president.”
He detailed Trump’s reaction, saying he realized otherwise when neo-Nazis and white supremacists clashed with protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. “What did you hear?” he asked. “That famous saying: ‘There are very good people on both sides.’ That’s when I realized, no kidding, I had to keep working and get back in the public eye.”
Trump supporters say his line has been distorted, pointing out that he has also accused neo-Nazis. But as he launched his campaign to retake the presidency, Trump became more openly embracing racist and extremist elements into American life. Last winter, he invited anti-Semitic rap artist Ye and prominent white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who attended a far-right rally in Charlottesville, to dinner.
Howard’s election gave Biden an opportunity to strengthen his support in the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency for re-election next year. Polls continue to show strong support for Biden among black voters, but political analysts and party strategists say there is a gap in enthusiasm for a president who needs high voter turnout from his support base. have expressed concern that it could complicate the outlook for
Mr. Biden has fallen short of his goals of cracking down on police violence and strengthening voting rights. He signed an executive order on federal law enforcement last year, but significant parts of it have yet to be implemented. Many supporters say he has failed to deliver on his promise to bring about institutional change in the criminal justice system.
But he chose Kamala Harris (a Howard University graduate) as the first black vice president. She appointed the first black woman to be Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. And he has sent more black women to Congress than all other presidents combined. America’s black unemployment rate fell to a record low of 4.7% in April, narrowing the gap between white and black unemployment to the lowest ever measured.
Of particular interest to Saturday’s audience, Mr. Biden has developed a program that will forgive $400 billion in student loans over the next few decades, up to $20,000 per eligible person. However, the Supreme Court appears poised to overrule this.
Biden won 92% of black voters in 2020, but only 58% supported his performance in a recent poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs. A May poll by The Economist and YouGov magazine found he had 71% approval among black adults, but only 46% wanted him to run again.
Biden found a friendly but not necessarily enthusiastic crowd on Saturday. Most of the Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals and Wizards, was filled with alumni and their families, who welcomed him warmly, but more than a dozen protested, including military research. Some had placards about the issue. On-campus interviews before the ceremony revealed ambivalent attitudes between students and alumni.
“He’s a very nice guy,” said Mariah Davis, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering major, of Biden. “He’s just trying to defend an unprecedented group of people.”
But some students said they were unsure if they could connect with him. “We find it a little strange that he is coming to the entrance ceremony, because it is clear that he is going to teach us about values. Are you going to say that?” said Alisa Drake, 19, a sophomore. “What can Biden say to us black students entering society?”
He said he would vote for Biden next year if the choice was between him and a Republican. But she was lukewarm about it. “She’s not very excited,” she said. “Lately, I feel like no candidate has caught my eye. It’s like, ‘Wow, they’re really on to something and interested in helping my generation.’ “
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