Charleston Reporter

Returning to the state that kickstarted his 2020 march to the presidency, President Joe Biden offered encouragement amid challenges Friday to the South Carolina State University Class of 2021 during a ceremony at the Smith Hammond Middleton Memorial Center.

Biden’s win in the South Carolina primary boosted his campaign for the Democratic nomination, assisted by an endorsement by U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, who invited the 46th president to deliver the address for him as he marched with the graduates during the ceremony, according to an SC State news release. 

“Graduates, I’m here to congratulate you but also let you know that your country — and this is not hyperbole — is counting on you,” Biden told the graduates, according to a transcript of his remarks released by the White House. “They’re counting on you to change, to turn the dial at a moment we have a chance to do it.  And that I’m committed to doing everything I can to make real the promise of America for all Americans, for all of you.”

President Joe Biden | WhiteHouse.gov

Biden told graduates the country is at an inflection point he said could change history, and it is a tremendous opportunity for the class of 2021, according to the transcript, and he urged action on a number of issues, including police reform and voter rights. 

Biden also touted his administration’s efforts to invest in HBCU programs in growing fields such as healthcare, engineering and cybersecurity, the transcript noted.  

Sitting among the graduates was Clyburn, who did not get to march to receive his degree in 1961. The university, the release noted, did not hold a December commencement ceremony at that time, so Clyburn received his diploma in the mail.