Morehouse med students don’t want this congressman to speak at their graduation
A growing number of students graduating from Morehouse School of Medicine are asking the school to replace its commencement speaker, U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick.
McCormick, who is white and from Suwanee, is a graduate of the historically Black college in Atlanta. School leaders called his selection as speaker for the May 16 commencement a “homecoming.” But current students say his views and votes go against the school’s mission to improve people’s well-being and increase diversity in the medical field.
“As future physicians, we realize that we’re going to interact with diverse patients who have different perspectives, but we feel that someone who’s championing us on our graduation day and giving us a charge to move forward with the future should also uphold our values and the morals that we uphold,” Kiara Huff told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She was among the three dozen students who held a protest on campus Wednesday afternoon, rallying with chants like “change the speaker” and “DEI saves patient lives.”
Protests are rare at the school. It was organized because students felt their concerns, outlined in a letter published earlier this week, were not being heard by school administrators. That letter called for his removal as speaker and pointed out that McCormick has supported legislation against gender-affirming care, restricting immigration in the U.S., and capping loans that many low-income students have relied on to afford medical school. In April he introduced the HBCU Research Capacity Act, which would help increase access to federal research dollars for historically Black colleges.
“If our mission is to increase the number of doctors of color and improve health outcomes for underrepresented populations, Congressman McCormick stands directly in opposition to it,” the letter stated. “We hope leadership understands that the hurt and frustration surrounding this decision stem not only from differing opinions but from the feeling that student voices, lived experiences, and trust in institutional leadership are being overlooked.”
Sarah Neault, one of the student protesters, noted that McCormick is up for reelection this November and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. “People are really impacted by the administration that he’s been not only endorsed by, but that he defends,” said Neault. “(People’s) safety or their livelihood is at stake because of decisions that him and his colleagues are making.”
Morehouse School of Medicine said in a statement to the AJC that McCormick was invited as a former student body president “whose career in medicine and public service reflects the leadership MSM produces.” It added that his selection is not an endorsement of any political views.
“MSM is a non-partisan institution, and our mission to advance health equity is unwavering,” said the school, adding that it respected the students and “the thoughtfulness with which they have expressed their views.”
The AJC reached out to McCormick’s office for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Following a Tuesday meeting with concerned students, president Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice sent a letter addressed to student government leaders. Rice acknowledged that some of the congressman’s statements and policies, “particularly around DEI and related issues, are deeply at odds with values many in our community hold closely.”
She then asked them to consider a different perspective, writing that the school “was not built simply to prepare people to speak to those who agree with them” but to “prepare leaders who can engage the world as it is and still influence it toward what it should become.”
As they embark on their careers, grads will work alongside people whose worldview’s differ from their own, wrote Rice. “Yet you will still be called to listen, to lead, to collaborate, and to build trust,” she said. “That is what this moment can teach all of us.”
McCormick has spoken at the school before, said Neault. She attended and found him to be “very smart and tactful.”
“I don’t have any problem with going to see him speak and hear his perspectives voluntarily, but when you’re forcing our families and all of us to hear from him on graduation day, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” said Neault.
She and Huff said they welcome diverse perspectives on campus.
“Any other day we’ll be happy to hear his diverse perspectives,” said Neault. “But why does it have to be on our last day here?”
In fall 2024, Morehouse School of Medicine enrolled 967 students, according to national data; 4% were white.
Students started a petition with close to 1,000 signatures asking for his removal. If he’s not replaced, the students ask administrators to permit graduates to decline handshakes or other interactions with McCormick without penalty; that the graduation program include a statement that the school doesn’t endorse or condone any individuals for political office; and that officers in the Student Government Association be permitted to vet his speech ahead of time.
Morehouse School of Medicine is not the only HBCU that has faced criticism of its commencement speaker. Two years ago, there were calls to stage a walk-out in protest of President Joe Biden’s commencement speech at Morehouse College. This year, South Carolina State University canceled a graduation speech by Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in response to student complaints about her opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and support for Trump.
Neault is dismayed that the school hasn’t changed its position.
“We’re really disappointed in the decision,” she said. “His choices in Congress and his rhetoric affect many of the families of these students.”
Recent commencement speakers at Morehouse School of Medicine
About the Authors
Cassidy Alexander covers Georgia education issues for the AJC. She previously covered education for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and was named Florida's Outstanding New Journalist of the Year.
