Obama to Deliver Morehouse Commencement

obamaPresident Barack Obama will deliver the commencement address at Atlanta’s Morehouse College on May 19, reports Politico.com.

The White House said in a statement obtained by the website, “Morehouse College, one of the nation’s leading Historical Black Colleges and Universities, is among the best and brightest institutions of higher education in the country.

“Known for its high standard for excellence in learning and social consciousness, Morehouse is home to a long list of notable alumni that spans the last three centuries.”

The school’s alumni include Martin Luther King, Jr., Spike Lee and Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of Atlanta, Politico adds.

The school’s new president, John Silvanus Wilson, Jr., informed students of Obama’s speech on Saturday night, Politico said.

Wilson previously worked as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Politico.com added.

In separate Morehouse news announced on Saturday, the foundation named for the late singer Ray Charles says it will give a $3 million gift to the school, reports The Associated Press.

The gift secures the naming of the academic wing of the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse for Charles’ mother, Aretha Robinson.

Charles received an honorary degree from Morehouse in 2001, AP adds.

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Leave a Reply