Biden visits Philadelphia for HBCU conference, touts White House accomplishments

By Ethan Young

President Joe Biden spoke at the 2024 Annual National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference in Philadelphia on Monday and emphasized the work his administration has done to support and fund HBCUs.

Monday’s remarks are part of the weeklong conference, which runs through Sept. 19 and is organized by the United States Department of Education. Programming for the conference includes a career fair, workshops, and opportunities for attendees to meet with representatives from various federal agencies.

Biden’s speech, which took place at the Philadelphia Marriott in Center City, came as the White House announced an additional $1.3 billion of federal investment for HBCUs.

“I know that an education makes a person free,” Biden told the crowd. “[An] HBCU education makes you fearless.”

Biden underscored the importance of diversity in both educational environments and the workforce in his remarks highlighting the academic achievements of HBCUs and their partnerships with the federal government. He referenced the overturning of affirmative action, saying that “the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are under attack.”

“There’s been no more important voice for that truth [of the promise of America] in the Black community than our HBCUs,” Biden said. “That’s what I see: students, future doctors, researchers curing cancer, artists shaping our culture, fearless journalists, and intellectuals challenging conventions.”

Biden told the crowd that the country is currently at an “inflection point,” adding that “the decisions we make now — right now — are going to determine the fate of our nation and the world in the next decades.”

Of the new federal funding, $1.1 billion will go towards students at HBCUs through need-based and federal programs such as Pell Grants, according to a Monday statement from the White House.

“How can we lead the world without freedom of education? How can we lead the world without reaching out to young people in this country, to improve their capacity?” Biden said as he emphasized the importance of the newly-announced funding.

During the remarks, which lasted slightly longer than 20 minutes, Biden also made several off-the-cuff remarks and jokes — several of which received laughs from a crowd filled with HBCU presidents and administrators.

“Let me tell you something, if I show up to your campus, you better be nice to me,” Biden told the 2024 cohort of HBCU Scholars sitting in the crowd.

Tony Allen, the president of Delaware State University, introduced Biden and referred to him as the president in United States history who has made the largest investment in HBCUs.

“Joe Biden is love of country,” Allen said. “He’s love of the possibilities found in America, whose best days are forever in front of her and our community has borne witness. We recognize and testify to his grace.”

Biden’s remarks in Philadelphia come one day after a possible assassination attempt against former President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump. Biden acknowledged the attempt during his remarks, telling the crowd that there was no place for political violence in the United States.

“I commend the Secret Service for the expert handling of the situation,” Biden said, adding that the country must “do everything we can to prevent” further political violence.

Biden last visited Philadelphia in August during an unannounced trip to Penn’s campus, when he stopped by the Penn Bookstore before entering the University Guest House for an apparent meeting with Interim Penn President Larry Jameson.