Biden appeals to Black voters and says he’s working toward an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza during Morehouse commencement

CNN By Michael Williams and Donald Judd, CNN Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden touted his administration’s efforts to place Black Americans into the highest echelons of political power during a Sunday commencement address at Morehouse College, while also acknowledging the anguish simmering among young people across the US over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The president, speaking to graduates at a preeminent college for Black men, delivered a forceful call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza paired with the release of Israeli hostages – while urging a long-term political solution to the crisis. “What’s happening in Gaza and Israel is heartbreaking: Hamas’ vicious attack on Israel, killing innocent lives and holding people hostage; innocent Palestinians caught in the middle of all this – men, women and children killed or displaced and in desperate need of water, food and medicine,” the president said. Biden faced a delicate balancing act ahead of his speech at Morehouse, where some students and faculty members opposed the president’s presence on campus because of his stalwart support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas. The White House worked for weeks to quell concerns, and it hoped the address would give Biden an opportunity to...