The Divider-in-Chief

Our success will be measured by the impact we have on others, not the grudges we hold against a once unjust world.

A month before the fateful debate of June 27 that led to Joe Biden’s exit from the Presidential race, he spoke at the graduation ceremony of Morehouse College, the famed Historically Black College in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time, his reelection campaign was already in real trouble. Most Americans (77%) believed the country was on the wrong track, and his approval rating was a dismal 38%.

Scrambling to shore up his base, Biden was on a mission. The nation’s self-proclaimed “Uniter-in-Chief” had promised at his Inaugural in 2021 that “Unity” would be the theme of his Presidency. Three years later, faced with one failure after another and a tough reelection bid, Biden was chumming the waters of victimhood in search of Black votes. By the time the now “Divider-in-Chief” arrived in Atlanta, he was on a roll. Reminiscent of his previous reckless speeches as Vice President claiming Republicans wanted to put black Americans “back in chains” or that a vote for Trump meant “you ain’t black,” Biden violated the most basic rule when addressing an audience, both at Morehouse College and nationally: Read the Room.

No doubt many in his audience at the College bought his line that despite all he’d done as President to support the Black community’s well-being with billions in federal aid, the nation ready to greet them after graduation was a “white supremacist world.”  But that had to be a lot to swallow for some in the crowd and, come to think of it, half the nation as well. After all, those about to depart the stage with diplomas were among the nation's most promising and talented youth, Black or White, raring to take on the world.

Nearly a decade earlier, in contrast to Biden’s good, old-fashioned race-baiting remarks meant to sow division, a different kind of commencement address was delivered to a not-so-different audience. Denzel Washington, the highly gifted Black actor, traveled to New Orleans to speak to the graduating class at another historically Black school, Dillard University.

Washington’s words, in contrast to Biden’s, reflected a hard-earned wisdom that encouraged Black Americans to set aside historical grievances and take full ownership of their lives and futures. His message, while not denying the existence of obstacles, asked the university’s graduates to believe that hurdles can be overcome through hard work, faith, discipline, and service to others.

A Tale of Two Speeches

When laid side by side and end to end, the two speeches paint remarkably different portraits of the promise and future of Black America. Where Biden’s vision for Black youth cast them as passive victims of an unjust world, Washington’s remarks were about seeking empowerment through resilience, hope, and determination. A comparison of their speeches when addressing the outlook for the Black community couldn’t be more stark.

Biden took the low road: “What is democracy if a trail of broken promises still leaves black communities behind? What is democracy if you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot? And most of all, what does it mean, as we’ve heard before, to be a Black man who loves his country even if it doesn’t love him back in equal measure?” 

In contrast, Washington looked at the aspiring Black students before him and said: “Hard work works. Working really hard is what successful people do. And in this text, tweet, twerk world that you’ve grown up in remember just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done . . . Don’t confuse movement with progress, continue to strive, continue to have goals, continue to progress.”

His remarks emphasized personal discipline and a relentless work ethic rather than victimhood, framing success as something that each individual has the power to build for themselves. His message was empowering because it was rooted in the idea that self-determination is accessible to everyone, regardless of background or adversity.

Biden, in character, reinforced the idea that Black Americans must fight an endless uphill battle to survive, let alone succeed. Throughout his speech, his perspective conveyed a sense of powerlessness, leading graduates to believe that their lives were at the mercy of external forces over which they had no control. His focus on structural inequalities, racial injustices, and historical grievances shamelessly boxed in bright, young graduates at the exact moment when they should feel most unbound and ready to succeed.

Here’s an excerpt of Washington’s remarks, emphasizing the power of Goals:

“Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember, dreams without goals, are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment. So have dreams, but have goals, life goals, yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals. . . Every day you have to plan — you’ve heard the saying — we don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan.”

Here’s Biden’s, evoking the KKK:

“If Black men are being killed on the streets, we bear witness. For me, that means to call out the poison of white supremacy, to root out systemic racism. . . . Let’s be clear what happens to you and your family when old ghosts in new garments seize power, extremists come for the freedoms you thought belonged to you and everyone.”

A year earlier, Biden had spread this same message of fear and hate to the graduates of another famous HBCU, Howard University:

“White supremacy … is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland. . . . Fearless progress toward justice often means ferocious pushback from the oldest and most sinister of forces. That’s because hate never goes away. … It only hides under the rocks. And when it’s given oxygen it comes out from under that rock.”

Hate never goes away? Hate hides under every rock? Inspired yet?

How is it that the President of the United States can call out those “demonizing and pitting people against one another” (Biden’s own words) as he goes about the business of demonizing and pitting people against one another?

Here’s more from their respective worldviews:

Biden

“Insurrectionists who storm the Capitol with Confederate flags are called When patriots by some. Not in my house. Black police officers, Black veterans protecting the Capitol were called another word, as you’ll recall.”

Washington

“Anything you want good you can have, so claim it, work hard to get it. you get it, reach back, pull someone else up. Each one, teach one.”

Biden

“They say out loud, these other groups, immigrants poison the blood of our country, like the Grand Wizard and fascists said in the past.”

Washington

“True desire in the heart, that itch that you have, the thing that you want to do is to help others and grow. That desire, that itch, that’s God’s proof to you, sent beforehand, to indicate that it’s yours.”

Biden

“Extremists close the doors of opportunity; strike down affirmative action; attack the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Washington

Everything that I have is by the grace of God. Understand that. It’s a gift.”

Biden

“Graduates, that is what we’re up against; extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse.”

Washington

Say thank you for grace, thank you for mercy, thank you for understanding, thank you for wisdom, thank you for parents, thank you for love, thank you for kindness, thank you for humility, thank you for peace, thank you for prosperity. Say thank you in advance for what’s already yours.”

The Road to Building Self-Empowerment, not Victimhood

Among Biden’s numerous failures as President, from the economy to immigration to crime and more, his willingness to divide rather than unite us as Americans will go down in history as his saddest failing. Rather than rallying our nation’s youth — regardless of color — around the importance of individual agency, resilience, and faith in one another, he’s extended a narrative in which young Black Americans are forever cast as victims of forces beyond their control. At a time when Black graduates are entering a workforce with more skills, knowledge, ambition, and opportunity than ever before, Biden warns them that their potential is limited by systemic racism and societal constraints rather than propelled by personal action.

What Biden has not learned in his famed “50 years of public service” is that we can honor the painful legacy of slavery and racism without becoming prisoners to it. We can examine the harsh realities of America’s past without trapping Black youth in a perpetual cycle of grievance. This doesn’t mean ignoring history; it means not letting history dictate our future. It means empowering every individual’s reach, regardless of their circumstances. It means reminding Americans that our success will be measured by the impact we have on others, not the grudges we hold against a once unjust world.