What did Joe Biden say in his Howard University speech?

US President Joe Biden expressed his 2024 election plans before the young Black voters in his 155th commencement speech at Howard University graduation ceremony in Washington, DC Saturday reiterating his commitment to do more on "gun violence".

Joe Biden admitted that "there was still more to do on gun violence, reiterating calls for an "assault weapons ban", as well as a comprehensive "police overhaul".

He also reasserted to the students that the work to "redeem the soul of the nation" — a phrase the President uses to distinguish himself from the former president Donald Trump.

Biden told the graduates that "we can finally resolve those ongoing questions about who we are as a nation — that puts the strength of our diversity at the centre. A future for all Americans, a future I see you leading."

Without naming the former president, Biden lashed out at Trump. Biden also recalled his decision of running for the Oval Office again after the events of the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, riots and Trump's remarks that there were fine people on both sides.

The President said: "Fearless progress toward justice often means ferocious push back of the oldest and the most sinister of forces. That’s because hate never goes away," the president said.

"It only hides under the rocks. And when it’s given oxygen, it comes out from under that rock. That’s why we know this truth as well: Silence is complicity. It cannot remain silent," said Joe Biden.

The speech comes weeks after Biden announced his second bid for the White House as the country is approaching its date of repaying its debt alongside migrant influx.

For the democratic party, Black voters also remain at the centre. The Democrats were alarmed as they witnessed low black voter turnout in the 2022 midterms.

In a new survey by Washington Post and ABC, Biden’s approval rating dropped to 52% from 82 when he assumed the presidency..

The President also underlined the focus areas which he is to prioritise on the campaign trail.

Biden drew a big round of applause for his political promises on marijuana decriminalisation, climate change investment, and student loan forgiveness.

“Fundamental questions are at stake for our nation: Who are we? What do we stand for? What do we believe? Who will we be? You’re here to help answer those questions,” the 80-year-old President told the Howard students.

Vice President Kamala Harris' alma mater received wide attention from the US government since Biden took the White House. Howard University has recently become the first historically Black college or university to collaborate with the Department of Defense to lead a university-affiliated research center.

Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) at large remain a priority for the Biden administration, a White House official previously told CNN.

In 2021, the president delivered his speech at the fall commencement at South Carolina State University. He also delivered a virtual address for HBCU students in June 2021 as COVID-19 was at its peak.

With all his attention, Joe Biden has yet to complete his proposal of nearly $45 billion in funding for fixing weathered HBCU campuses and assisting in modernising the historical institutions.

To date, Biden has only given $6 billion of investments through the Department of Education.

In his next address, the president is likely to go to El Paso County Colorado June 1 to talk at the United States Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony.