Staff Reports
Before giving a graduating speech at the historically black college, President Joe Biden asked for the alumni's support. Sources claim that Biden met with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, a Morehouse alumnus, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, and Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. of the Morehouse Board of Trustees. Steve Benjamin, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, met with students at Morehouse College to discuss their worries regarding the president's speech and reassured them that it was unrelated to the campaign.
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Apart from these, President Biden declared his intention to take part in two debates with his opponent, the former President Donald Trump, instead of the ones mediated by the Commission on Presidential Debates. On October 1, VSU was going to conduct one of these debates, making it the first historically black university to do so. The Biden-Harris campaign highlighted the administration's recent $16 billion funding announcement for historically black colleges and universities as evidence of their commitment to these institutions.
In spite of these initiatives, a Wall Street Journal survey conducted last month showed a significant shift in black voters' support, with 30% saying they would consider supporting Trump in the upcoming election. Compared to the 2020 election, when Biden received 92% of the black vote, this represents a substantial change. Black voters are predicted to account for 14% of eligible voters by 2024, therefore these changing perceptions may have a big impact on the next election.
It's possible that President Biden is trying to win over more black voters with his outreach to the Morehouse College community and his administration's emphasis on HBCUs. But the results of the most recent poll point to a significant change in the political environment, suggesting that the administration may have to work even harder to keep this important vote bloc on board going forward.
