Julián Castro

President Joe Biden spent much of his commencement address focusing on the theme of democracy, while touting his administration's work for Black Americans. As a handful of student turned their chairs in a silent protest of Biden, the president listed some virtues of a healthy democracy. "In a democracy, we debate and dissent about America's role in the world," Biden said. He added: "I want to say this very clearly -- I support peaceful, nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard. I promise you, I hear them." Biden said he was determined to make his "administration look like America" when he became president. "I have more African Americans in high places, including on the court, than any president in American history. Because I need the input," he said. Biden then shifted to the Middle East, calling the situation in Gaza a "humanitarian crisis" while saying his administration is working toward a ceasefire with the release of hostages. President Joe Biden subtly teased his hopes for the political future of his vice president and running mate while delivering the Morehouse commencement on Sunday. Saying he was "proud to put in the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court," Biden added that he had "no doubt one day a Morehouse man will be on that court as well." He then added he had "no doubt a Morehouse man will be president one day - just after an AKA from Howard." Harris was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically Black sorority, during her time as a student at Howard University. President Joe Biden said he's called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza while delivering his commencement address at Morehouse College. “What’s happening in Gaza and Israel is heartbreaking," he said. He continued: "It's a humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the president said. "That's why I've called for an immediate ceasefire - an immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting and bring the hostages home." It was a forceful call for a ceasefire and an urgent call for a political solution in Gaza. Biden has previously said his administration is working towards a temporary ceasefire to secure the release of hostages still being held in Gaza. The president continued: “What happens in Gaza, what rights do the Palestinian people have? I'm working to make sure we finally get a two-state solution -- the only solution where two people live in peace, security, and dignity,” he said. As Biden began speaking, a student in the audience unfurled a Palestinian flag and held it up. Some students in the audience have turned their chairs so they are facing away from the president as he delivers his commencement address. President Joe Biden took the podium at Morehouse College at 10:29 a.m. ET. He started his remarks by recognizing the relatives of graduating seniors. "A lot of you, like my family, had to make significant sacrifices to get your kids to school," the president said. Morehouse College has conferred an honorary degree to President Joe Biden. Biden is the third US President to receive the honorific from Morehouse. President Barack Obama received an honorary degree when he delivered a commencement address at the college in 2013. Jimmy Carter received one in 1975, before he became president. Morehouse faculty approved Biden's honorary degree in a vote earlier this week. Morehouse valedictorian DeAngelo Fletcher called for a ceasefire in Gaza while speaking ahead of President Joe Biden's commencement address. "The Israel-Gaza conflict has plagued the people of its region for generations," Fletcher said while Biden looked on behind him. "It is important to recognize that both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the wake of October 7. From the comfort of our homes, we watched an unprecedented number of civilians mourn the loss of men, women and children. Fletcher called for the release of all hostages. He then continued: "For the first time in our lives, we've heard the global community sing one harmonious song that transcends language and culture." "It is my stance as a Morehouse man - nay, as a human being - to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," he said. President Joe Biden has taken the stage at Morehouse College's commencement ceremony. He was met with applause and chants of "four more years" from the section reserved for graduates' families. Ahead of Sunday's commencement address, President Joe Biden consulted with prominent Black public figures for weeks and White House officials traveled to Morehouse College's campus to hold forth with students and faculty and attempt to quell their concerns. During a meeting in early May, roughly half of the two-hour conversation focused on the conflict in Gaza, one source said. Stephen Benjamin, the director of the White House office of public engagement, said he and the students had a wide-ranging conversation, which again included the conflict in the Middle East. Students are also concerned that their achievements will be overshadowed by a stump speech, according to people familiar with the discussions. They have expressed frustration that the format of the event and the level of security required for such a high-profile visit resulted in limited tickets for family members, many of whom must watch from an overflow room. Biden's scheduled appearance at Morehouse is a shift in strategy as the president has largely shied away from addressing large crowds of young people on college campuses, a change that came shortly after his January remarks on abortion rights at Virginia’s George Mason University were interrupted more than a dozen times by protesters outraged at his continued support for Israel in its war in Gaza. The Middle East conflict spurred more than 1,360 student demonstrations on campuses across the country from October 7 to May 3, according to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.  “I understand people have strong feelings of deep convictions,” Biden said during brief remarks from the White House on campus protests earlier this month. “In America, we respect the right and protect the right for them to express that. But it doesn’t mean anything goes.” The program for Morehouse College's commencement began before 9 a.m. ET. President Joe Biden has arrived at the college and will speak later in the program. President Joe Biden has departed for Morehouse College, where he will deliver a commencement address later this morning. Morehouse College President David A. Thomas said Thursday he would shut down commencement ceremonies “on the spot” rather than allow police to remove student protesters in zip ties during President Joe Biden’s graduation speech. Biden’s scheduled commencement speech Sunday at one of the nation’s preeminent historically Black colleges comes as school officials around the country have called in law enforcement to clear pro-Palestinian encampments and quell demonstrations in recent weeks. “What we won’t allow is disruptive behavior that prevents the ceremony or services from proceeding in a manner that those in attendance can partake and enjoy,” Thomas told CNN. “So, for example, prolonged shouting down of the president as he speaks. I have also made a decision that we will also not ask police to take individuals out of commencement in zip ties. If faced with the choice, I will cease the ceremonies on the spot, if we were to reach that position.” Biden’s presence on the Atlanta campus also comes as he seeks to persuade young voters to send him to the White House for another term, even as many have expressed frustration for his administration’s continued support of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Thomas said the college will not allow “hate speech,” meaning any “calls for violence against another group or individual.” He said Morehouse is a place that “can hold the tensions” that have come to a boil at campuses across the nation. Ahead of President Joe Biden's commencement address at Morehouse College on Sunday, the school is bracing for enhanced security measures and potential pro-Palestinian protests amid the president’s stalwart support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas.  There have been mixed reactions within the Morehouse community to Biden’s presence on campus. Morehouse extended the invitation to Biden to speak in September, a month before the Israel-Hamas war started, but since the announcement that Biden would deliver the commencement speech, several student-led protests have taken place on and off the Morehouse campus.  Noah Collier, a senior, told CNN that his school needs to rescind Biden’s invitation because, he says, if the president speaks on his campus this weekend, it “shows our institution’s complicity in all of the injustices created by Biden’s Cabinet and the US government.” Meanwhile, Calvin Bell, another senior, told CNN that he is "looking forward to Biden coming on campus in order to hear what his speech truly has to say." “As someone who has felt very weird at this portion in time and history, with the tension in Gaza, I think it’s important for Biden to come with the intention of wrestling with the issues at hand, and reassuring students such as myself, as well as our family members, who are a part of the Black community," Bell said. The Morehouse address is under the microscope as a potential litmus test for the president’s strength with young voters of color in the fall. The president’s advisers say he’s intent on keeping the focus on the graduates even as the prospect of protests lingers over the event. Morehouse College President David A. Thomas said it wouldn’t be in Biden’s interest to “give a campaign stump speech.” He called on the president to discuss what the school represents, lay out his vision for “a more inclusive economy” and address the Israel-Hamas war.