On May 13, President Biden delivered the commencement address to thousands of graduates at Howard University, an historically black college and university (HBCU) located in Washington, DC.

Typically, commencement speeches celebrate the achievements of the graduating class and instill a sense of hope and optimism as graduates prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives.

However, Biden chose a different tack. Instead of congratulating the graduates on their years of hard work and providing sound advice for their futures, Biden chose to harp on racial relations in a craven attempt to amplify racial resentment and exacerbate identity politics.

According to Biden, “the most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland is white supremacy. And I’m not saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU. I say it wherever I go.”

Of course, everyone knows this is a bald face lie and a pathetic display of pandering.

Biden also claimed that “this very university and HBCUs across the country” face constant “bomb threats.” Not true.

What’s more, Biden declared that “Black history is being erased,” “racism has long torn us apart,” and the GOP is actively trying to “suppress” black Americans’ “right to vote.”

However, that is par for the course for Biden, who has quite a history of ginning up racial antipathy.

In 2012, Biden told a largely black audience during a campaign speech that Republicans are “going to put y’all back in chains.”

Then, in 2020, Biden told a black deejay, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

To be fair, Biden is not the sole reason that racial relations have been getting worse in recent years. But, instead of following through on his promise to unite the nation, Biden has chosen to divide the nation, particularly on racial lines.

Moreover, the Biden administration strongly supports the so-called “equity” agenda (as opposed to equality); critical race theory in our public schools; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which are nothing more than modern-day reverse racism.

Perhaps most disconcerting is that Biden continues to beat the racial drum while the nation faces a slew of domestic and international threats that pose a clear and present danger.

In fact, one can make a solid case that Trump’s free-market policies were a boon to African Americans, whereas Biden’s big government, nanny state policies have reversed much of the progress black Americans experienced while Trump was in the Oval Office.

But, in all honesty, the state of race relations in the United States has been trending worse far before Joe Biden entered the White House.

According to Gallup Polling, which has been tracking “race relations” for more than 20 years, the downward spiral originated during Barack Obama’s presidency.

In 2001, 70 percent of black adults and 62 percent of white adults said relations between white and black people were “very/somewhat good.”

In 2015, these figures plummeted to 51 and 45, respectively. As of 2021, they have dropped to 33 and 43, respectively.

To be sure, the mainstream media and corporate America have had a hand in the stunning deterioration in race relations over the past two decades, however, leftist politicians and their constant focus on identity politics are the main culprits for our sad state of race relations.

Although I doubt that President Biden will do anything meaningful over the remainder of his term to make this situation better, I do hope the next commander in chief abandons the constant race-baiting and takes to heart Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream that we live in a nation where Americans are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.