Thursday President Biden marked the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that struck down racial segregation in schools. President Biden met with key figures at the White House, including plaintiffs and family members. According to some in attendance, the conversation at the event was mostly focused on honoring the plaintiffs and the ongoing battle to boost education in Black communities.
The event reflects President Biden's effort to underscore and recognize those who fought for progress for Black Americans and comes amid a broader outreach to Black Americans both from the official White House side and on the campaign trail.
The president of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, told Scripps News the Biden administration's efforts have delivered, especially when it comes to student debt relief.
"There's always work to be done," Johnson said. "We didn't get into this is a scenario in four years. We won't get out in four years. But we are really proud of the cancellation of student loan debt. That's one of the things that created a huge financial hurdle for many African-Americans, and this administration made tremendous strides in addressing it. Can you imagine being a teacher, unable to qualify for a home mortgage or a quality house after teaching for 20, 30 years, because of the student loan obligation, when the profession of teaching has been so demeaned that they're not paid a livable wage? So that is an accomplishment and we must continue to push for more things that apply to everyday citizens' lives."
The White House says its work to reach Black voters will continue this week. Friday, President Biden will give remarks at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. He will meet with leaders of historically Black fraternities and sororities before he speaks at the annual dinner for the NAACP's Detroit branch, and he will give the commencement address at Morehouse University this weekend.
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Biden to deliver 140th commencement at Morehouse, HBCU to deliver him doctorate
President Biden's campaign launched ads earlier in May that focused in part on reaching Black voters. President Biden conducted radio interviews being published this week in Atlanta and Milwaukee that underscored his view of the administration's impact for Black Americans, particularly when it comes to health care and the economy.
The president's Morehouse commencement address comes amid the protests over the Middle East that have out on college campuses across the country — including at Morehouse, where there were some calls for President Biden to cancel his visit.