On The Breakfast Club , an emboldened Morehouse College student challenges school president David A. Thomas to disinvite President Joe Biden from delivering the upcoming commencement speech. The Georgia-based HBCU did not budge.
A clip posted to Instagram April 28 by Basheer Jones, shows a live taping of The Breakfast Club at Clark Atlanta University on April 26. During a “Donkey of the Day” segment, Miles Ross, a full-time political science student at Morehouse opened up about his quarrels with Thomas.
Charlamagne tha God, Jess Hilarious, and DJ Envy visited Morehouse’s sister school for a special show highlighting the students’ voices, including segments like “Get It Off Your Chest” and “Donkey of the Day.” Ross voiced his opinions during the segment, which allowed students to give “people the credit they deserve for being stupid.” In this case, for Ross, Thomas is on the chopping block as “Donkey of the Day.”
“I would like to give my Donkey of the Day to Morehouse President David Thomas for extending an invite to Joe Biden and passing up so many prominent Black figures who were more deserving,” said Ross, who is slated to walk in the commencement ceremony on May 19.
The impassioned student also called Thomas out “for not listening to his faculty and student body at Tuesday’s [April 23] town hall meeting when we urged him and pleaded with him to rescind the invite.”
The crowd in the room released breathy sighs and gasps, including the instigative panel of hosts.
“Are y’all going to protest Joe Biden when he comes?” Charlamagne teased before asking Ross his name.
With his chest raised, Ross exchanged awkward looks with the hosts and firmly announced his name.
Social media viewers took to the comments section, expressing a wide array of opinions about Ross’ demands.
On one side of the spectrum, comments are standing 10 toes down and honoring the Morehouse brother for his integrity.
“We Stand Beside This Brother,” one comment wrote.
“That’s Morehouse, those men don’t play. Integrity is a pillar in that institution,” another comment chimed in.
“The issue is not solely [that] Thomas extended the invitation. It is that at this prestigious not only university, but a HBCU the institution chose to ignore its students and other staff and board, by not having a figure of black excellence. I don’t understand why people are so offended when black people want to see black excellence,” a supportive viewer penned.
Other social media users challenged Ross to think about his financial assistance if he has any at all.
“Now if Biden wipes out student loans, I bet his energy will change,” one user quipped.
A third comment listed some ways Biden helped the Black community saying, “You can dislike the guy for his handling of the nearly 100-year-old Palestine/Israel conflict – but don’t act like this man has never done anything for the black community either.”
Morehouse faculty members, students and alumni are disagreeable with Biden’s efforts in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and urge for him to sit out the upcoming commencement ceremony.
On April 23, Morehouse College announced Biden as its keynote speaker for the 140 th Commencement Exercises. The news adds more fuel on the many grueling pro-Palestinian and antisemitic protests on college campuses, including Emory University. Despite concerns, Morehouse College has reportedly decided to keep Biden on as a commencement speaker. Morehouse’s provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, Kendrick Brown, told t he Atlanta Journal-Constitution that there is an opportunity for Biden’s arrival to encourage Morehouse graduates.
“There are a number of individuals who recognize this opportunity and the prominence of the speaker and an opportunity for Morehouse to highlight its mission and to be able to use this venue to ask important questions,” Brown said.
She added, “I hope this speech would not be about making a case or making a campaign. It should be about our students.”
Past speakers include Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III of the Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, TX and Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, Baltimore.
You can listen to the full live show below:
According to his LinkedIn page, Ross looks forward to attending law school after graduation.
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