LIVE: Biden Speaks at the 2024 National HBCU Week Conference

For Veronica, this is my beautiful wife Tara, and we wanted to just say a few words about a person who's like family for us. In a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church, 1 Corinthians 15 10 notes the power of God's grace. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. Yet though I labored more abundantly than they all, this is my favorite part, yet not I, but God's grace. I've known Joe Biden for 30 years. I know his story. I know his accomplishments. I know his heart. But before this summer, what I did not know was his deep understanding of the power of God's grace. You see, most of us recognize grace as a simple display of self-sacrifice, a humble nod to an adoring admirer, a gesture of kindness to a stranger. We recognize grace as benevolence given freely. And if you look at Joe Biden's personal story, at the work of his public life, you'll recognize countless examples of grace. He does not demur in the face of adversity, has never believed that anyone is beneath him or beyond his capacity for listening, learning, and for love. But he's not just an example of God's grace to others. Joe Biden is the quintessential example of what God's grace has done in his own life. Can I get amen? His life is marked by the faithful uplift of people regardless of where they come from, what they look like, or who they love. His is a life that reflects his service to the Black community, in particular, our historically Black colleges and universities. Isn't it ironic to be in Pennsylvania where the first two HBCUs started and all of us have been serving for more than 187 years? That's why when I knew he and Vice President Harris took office, they would turn to HBCUs and together demonstrate the power of God's grace for a people and a set of institutions whose time has come. Everyone in this room understands that HBCUs have always outperformed other institutions by doing more with less. But President Biden knows less is no longer acceptable. Everyone in this room understands that if you did not have HBCUs in communities throughout this country, they would have to emerge for our country to survive. And everyone in this room should know, should understand that no other administration in the history of the republic, let me say that again, no other administration in the history of the republic has done more for historically Black colleges and universities than that of President Joe Biden. You might not know this, but he started his first Senate campaign on the hallowed grounds of Delaware State University in 1972 and is leaving with an unmatched presidency and historic investment in HBCUs. But perhaps even more important is Biden's administration and the record number of senior administrative executives from HBCUs, more than any other president in American history. And if you would allow me to be so bold, that includes the person I believe that will be the next president of the United States. Can I talk about it for a little bit? Howard University graduate, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority incorporated member, prosecutor, senator, wife, cook, and bonus mom of the highest order, the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. But let me be clear on this one point, and some of these students might know this, Joe Biden's been standing on business throughout his career, standing on big business. And let me tell you how that standing on business has changed the face of American politics. Brothers and sisters, you might be reminded when President Obama needed a running mate who reflected his values and could show up in every moment that mattered, he chose Joe Biden, twice. When the great Jim Clyburn, a distinguished alum of South Carolina State University, spoke up from his beloved South Carolina in February 2020 and asked us to consider his choice for president of the United States, he simply said, we know Joe Biden, and Joe Biden knows us. And when Joe Biden secured the democratic nomination for the president, he chose Kamala Harris, the first black woman to serve in that role. But check this out, when he decided to put country over all else, he stopped all the hand wringing and emphatically pointed to Vice President Harris as our leader into the next generation of American greatness. My friends, some historians will say Joe Biden's tenure as president will be looked upon as one of the most consequential of our time. They're right. Others will say no moment will rival the one in late July when he moved with Herculean grace. They're right too. Joe Biden is love of country. He's love of the possibilities founded in America, whose best days are forever in front of her. And our community has borne witness. We recognize and testify to his grace. Yet do I labor more abundantly than they, yet not I, but God's grace. Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, my fellow Americans, the 46th president of these United States, Now look, I love Kamala. Thank you all. As the saying goes, you all brung me to the dance. Folks want to get something straight at the outset. I love Kamala, but Delaware state's the best HBCU in America. They're the ones that you think I'm kidding. I was a 29 year old kid and they embraced me. They embraced me like you can't imagine. And we won the second youngest person in American history because of HBCU called Delaware state. And by the way, I hired a young man from Delaware state named Tony Allen came to work for me while there. I encouraged him to continue to get his extended degree. He got his doctorate and left. He became president himself. I don't know how the hell that happened so quick, but Tony, thank you, man. I've been under countless times, but never quite like that. And I mean it, Tony, from the bottom of my heart, I'm deeply moved by God's grace. We're true friends and Delaware state will always have a special place in my heart. And to the presidents and administrators of our 101 historic black colleges, universities, it's an honor to celebrate. And I mean, celebrating HBCU week with Before I began, I want to make a quick reference and the attempted assassination against our former president of Florida yesterday. I commend the secret service for the expert handling the situation. And the former president is protected from harm and subject is, and as the subject is in custody and acting head of the secret services in Florida today, assessing what happened and determining whether any further adjustments need to be made to ensure the safety of our former president. Let me just say, there is no, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart. Those of you who know me, many of you do. No place in political violence for political violence in America. None, zero, never. I've always condemned political violence. I always will in America. In America, we resolve our difference peacefully, the ballot box, not at the end of a gun. America suffered too many times the tragedy of an assassin's bullet. It solves nothing and just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen. Folks, now today's event. It's an honor to recognize HBCU excellence in our nation. I see excellence in it every single day. I see this weekend, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. I tell you what, the foundation gala, only about 3,500 people there. And I was happy and I've been wanting to do this to celebrate the first ever White House brunch to celebrate black excellence, black excellence, which many of you and your alumni attended. It's about time to point out what's already been done. I'm proud to have the most diverse administration in history. It taps into the full, I mean it, I made a commitment. My administration is going to look like America. It taps into the full talents of our nation, including graduates of HBCUs, like our amazing vice president is. Folks, together Kamala and I know that an education makes a person free. HBCU's education makes you fearless as well. It matters. I mean it. More than 180 years, born under the shadow of slavery and Jim Crow, HBCUs have instilled a sense of purpose and freedom, a commitment to make a difference for all their students, to lift up not just yourselves, but others along the way. Institution grounded in the belief that every American of every race and every background, every zip code, and you know me, I mean this, should have a fair and equal chance to go as far as their God-given talents can take them. That's who we are. That's who we stand for. But as I've said before, we place an inflection point in history. It comes along every six or seven generations. One of those rare moments in our history when the decisions we make now, right now, are going to determine the fate of our nation and the world for the next decades, for six, seven decades to come. And I mean it. When I wasn't going to run for president after my son died coming back from Iraq, I decided that I was going to write another book. I was changed history, going all the way back, dealing with the printing press and how it changed everything. But look, we're still in the battle. We're still in the battle for the very soul of America. In 2020, I ran, and I give you my word this was the reason, I ran to redeem the soul of America and restore decency and dignity to the office of the presidency. I ran to rebuild and expand the backbone of America, the middle class. And I ran to unite the country, remind ourselves that we can do anything we want to do when we do it together. Four years later, we made incredible progress because Kamala and I kept our commitment to you to ensure that all our students and all of our colleges and universities should be able to succeed. That's why I signed an executive order reestablishing the White House initiative and HBCUs after my predecessor allowed it to lapse. Thank you, Dr. Trent, for leading it. I can't see you out there, but I'm sure you're there. Thank you, Tony and Dr. Glover, for leading my presidential board on HBCU. I'm also proud to lead the first administration history to have a working group from the divine nine in the White House. I got it, man. I may be a white boy, but I ain't stupid. I figured out real quick. And by the way, an official group in the White House. Together, we got to work right away with our signature investment in addressing one of the most pressing issues for HBCUs. We all know, and I mean this sincerely, that HBCU students are just as capable as any other students. No, but HBCUs don't have the endowments like many other colleges and universities that are able to fund research labs, improve campus infrastructure, and so much more. That's why I'm proud to be delivering on a record $17 billion. $17 billion for HBCUs, the most ever any administration has ever, ever, ever, ever committed. Stay where you were. We've already distributed well over a billion. Folks, look, I want to make something clear at the outset. If you notice, the spending we've done — I have to hold back there — the spending we've done has not fundamentally increased the deficit like the other guys. No, no, seriously. It grows the economy. The more educated — how can we lead the world without being the most educated nation in the world? How can we lead the world without reaching out to the young people of this country to improve their capacity? You know, it's helped everything from HBCUs to do everything from providing financial aid by Pell Grants to building new housing and research labs to prepare Black students for jobs and industries of the future in high demand. It feels like cybersecurity, engineering, biochemistry, healthcare, and so much more. That's not all. Together, we spearheaded one of the most equitable economic recoveries in history. How — as I said, how can we be the strongest economy in the world and lead the world without the best education system, without — it taps into the talents of every student in our — I mean, every student. In fact, my Council on Economic Advisory should report this spring on the economic power of HBCUs. Here's what they found. They found HBCUs are engines of economic mobility in our country, raising the standard of living for everybody, for real. Despite representing only 3 percent of the colleges and universities in America, HBCUs are responsible for 40 percent of all Black engineers, 50 percent of all Black teachers, 70 percent of all doctors and dentists, and 80 percent of all Black judges. And I'm increasing that number, too. But that's not all. My Chips in Science Act, which I was committed to, finally got it done. We ensure we create more hubs of innovation at HBCUs, create pathways to involve more researchers, and grow a diverse semiconductor workforce here at home. For example, I was in New York where I announced a significant chips investment with Micron, a leading semiconductor company that parented and partnered with Norfolk State University to build a 6,000-square-foot high-tech facility for students and other researchers. My National Science Foundation just awarded $2 million to Clark Atlanta University to support their work in the HBCU chips network, fueling semiconductor research and development and a workforce capacity at HBCUs. This is in addition to last week's announcement of $10.5 million for National Science Foundation grants to facilitate STEM research at more than a dozen HBCUs, including Central State University, a project to build a semiconductor R&D capacity. I'm also excited to announce that four HBCUs — Fort Valley State University, Russ College, Savannah State University, and Shaw University are receiving additional critical funding to boost their STEM programs and prepare their students for these incredible opportunities. And moving forward, I've encouraged semiconductor companies to continue to create and expand partnerships with HBCUs as they invest in American manufacturing. And Vice President Harris and the National Space Council she leads are ensuring the federal government industry partner and HBCUs collaborate on opportunities for space-related technology and innovation in the future. And, folks, my Office of Science and Technology Policy is developing and sharing the best approaches across the entire government on how to expand STEM research and investments in HBCUs. In addition, my administration continues to diversify the federal workforce, starting by opening doors of opportunity, like the HBCU Scholar Program that celebrates its 10th anniversary. I want to congratulate the 2024 cohorts of scholars, the largest cohorts, all of whom are with us. Stand up if you're here. If I'm still around, one of you are president. Make sure you don't say who Joe who, okay? We also know that black studies show black students who have black teachers are significantly more likely to graduate from high school. And we've known this for a long time. That's why my Department of Education has provided $450 million to ensure that teachers in our schools reflect diversity in our community. These small things matter a lot. For example, this funding has gone toward the Augustus F. Hawkins program, which is preparing the next generation of teachers for HBCUs. For the first administration to secure funding for this program, providing almost $40 million today. And today, I'm proud to announce four more HBCUs. Grambling State University, Morehouse College. Oh, I'm so tired of hearing about Morehouse, man. I did the commencement of Morehouse. One guy came up to me, Mr. President, you're not a Morehouse man. Of course, I was doing the commencement. North Carolina Central University and Prairie View A&M University. They're being awarded new grants to increase teacher diversity. We know that while a college degree is still a ticket to the middle class, that ticket is becoming too expensive. That's why we increased the maximum Pell Grant by $900 a year, a large increase in a decade. It matters because HBCUs have twice the percentage of Pell Grant students as non-HBCUs. And my administration also relieved the debt of 5 million Americans, including a significant number of black borrowers. That means you can now start a business. You can buy a home, save for your children's school, give back to your community. And it grows the economy for everybody. It's not the cost, it grows the economy. There's so much more we're doing to help more HBCU students walk into a life of generational wealth and be providers for their families, leaders of the communities, dreamers and doers of the nation. In fact, in just four years, working with HBCU leaders, we're making the most significant investment in black America ever in American history. But look, we have to be honest about the forces we face. We gather together in a year when we commemorate two of our nation's most historic achievements. The 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education that segregated our public schools, laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and allowed law discrimination in employment and public place in which we've just observed its 60th anniversary. Instrumental in both achievements was Thurgood Marshall, an alum of Lincoln University and Howard Law School. By the way, Lincoln is closer to Wilmington than it is to Philly. I've been there many times. And generations of HBCU educators and students who came before, it opens the door of hope for a generation of black Americans and for the entire United States of America. It really does. But today, affirmative action and the values of diversity, equity and inclusion are under attack by a young civil rights guy. Books are being banned. History is being erased. HBCUs have received bomb threats. And right now, lies and hate are being spread about Haitian Americans in Ohio. It's wrong. It's simply wrong. And it must stop. There are those who want a country for some of us, but not for all of us. But I've always believed that the promise of America, and I mean it sincerely, is big enough for everyone to succeed. No, I really mean everyone. And there's been no more important voice for that truth in the black community and our HBCUs. That's what I see in your students, future doctors and researchers curing cancer, artists shaping our culture, fearless journalists and intellectuals challenging conventions, preachers and advocates inspiring us all. You prove that black history is American history. It is American history. And black excellence is American excellence. Let me tell you something. If I show up on your campus, you better be nice to me. Look, let me close with this. Mary McLeod Bethune was the highest-ranking black woman of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration, a pioneering educator, activist. She founded the proud HBCU Bethune-Cookman University. Here's what she said. She said, The freedom gates are half a jar. We must pry them fully open. That's what I'm trying to do. Pry them fully open. For over 180 years, HBCUs have been prying open freedom's gates. For the past four years, Kamala and I, with the help of all you and great leaders out there in the city that I serve with and the Congress and the Senate, are pushing right alongside. And God willing, as HBCU graduates, the future president of the United States is going to soon be sitting behind the Resolute Desk, pushing the gates of freedom open once and for all. Folks, you've probably heard me say this before. You just have to remember who the hell we are. No, I mean it. We're the United States of America. There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. Nothing, nothing, nothing. We're the only nation in history that's come out of every crisis stronger than we went in. That's because of you, because of all of us. We're a diverse nation. Therein lies our strength when we unite. So God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I walk out of my grandfather, Joey. Keep the faith. And my grandmother don't know Joey. Spread it. Go spread the faith.