“HBCUs Have Long Punched Way Above Their Weight”: This May, Senator Reverend Warnock Kicks-off Southern HBCU Commencement Tour to Urge the Class of 2024 to Use Their Voices, Uplift Importance of Nation’s Historically Black Colleges & Universities

This month, Senator Reverend Warnock, a graduate of Morehouse College (Class of 1991), will deliver three commencement addresses at historically Black universities throughout the South

Senator Reverend Warnock will address graduating students at Georgia’s Albany State University, as well as Tennessee State University, Johnson C. Smith University

Senator Reverend Warnock is one of two sitting U.S. Senators to graduate from one of the nation’s esteemed HBCUs

Senator Reverend Warnock has secured $267 million for Georgia’s HBCUs to date, and more than $7 billion in total for HBCU campuses across the country

The Senator has also championed meaningful student debt cancellation, successfully pushing the Biden Administration to cancel nearly $160 billion in student debt for 4.4 million Americans to date, and counting

Senator Reverend Warnock: “HBCUs play a vital role helping shape the next generation of leaders our country needs, and as one of two HBCU alums serving in the U.S. Senate, I will continue working to build on the $7 billion we have secured in federal investments for these institutions to continue expanding and innovating their transformational work”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) announced he would be delivering commencement addresses to the graduating Class of 2024 at three historically Black universities throughout the South this May. The Senator, an alum of Atlanta’s Morehouse College, will serve as the featured commencement speaker at Albany State University (Albany, GA), as well as Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN), and Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, NC) – institutions renowned for their rich history, academic excellence, and commitment to fostering Black leadership across industries.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to address the graduating classes of Albany State, Tennessee State, and Johnson C. Smith Universities. HBCUs play a vital role helping shape the next generation of leaders our country needs, and as one of two HBCU alums serving in the U.S. Senate, I will continue working to build on the $7 billion we have secured in federal investments for these institutions to continue expanding and innovating their transformational work,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “The Class of 2024 is entering the workforce or pursuing their chosen endeavors in a moment where many express uncertainties over the future for themselves and the world at large; I believe public servants play an important role in extolling a message of hope and vision of possibility that inspires more of us to take up the hard work required to make the change we wish to see.”

In his speeches, Senator Warnock will charge the graduates to “use their voice” to make an impact and effectuate change to address the shared challenges facing our communities. The Senator will also use the ceremonies to highlight the academic achievements of the graduating class and celebrate the tremendous legacy and impact of HBCUs in shaping our nation’s next generation of changemakers and leaders.

The commencement addresses are scheduled as follows:

Tennessee State University, May 3 at 5:00 PM (Watch livestream on TSU’s YouTube HERE)
Albany State University, May 4 at 10:00 AM (Watch livestream HERE)
Johnson C. Smith University, May 19 at 11:00 AM (Watch livestream on Johnson C. Smith’s YouTube HERE)

A product of good public policy, Senator Warnock is a Head Start and Upward Bound alum, and was inspired by Dr. King’s teachings to matriculate to Atlanta’s historic Morehouse College—using Pell Grants and low-interest student loans to become the first in his family to graduate from college. Following his graduation from Morehouse, he went on to receive his master’s and doctorate degrees at the renowned Union Theological Seminary.

Elected Georgia’s first Black Senator in 2021, and the father of two young children, Senator Reverend Warnock has been an ardent champion for education in the U.S. Senate. Senator Reverend Warnock has actively worked to bolster K-12 and higher education in Georgia and across the country. The Senator introduced legislation, the HEADWAY Act, to expand access to early learning, and helped pass the American Rescue Plan which made significant investments in the nation’s K-12 schools.

On the higher education front, Senator Reverend Warnock has successfully secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for Georgia’s HBCUs, and more than $7 billion in total for HBCU campuses across the country. The Senator has also championed meaningful student debt cancellation and successfully pushed the Biden Administration to provide nearly $160 billion and counting in student debt cancellation for 4.4 million Americans to date. Additionally, Senator Reverend Warnock has pushed to strengthen state support for 1890’s land-grant colleges and universities, to ensure they get their fair share of funding, through the Land- Grant Research Equity and Accountability Act, and has passed legislation to honor first-generation college students.

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