They are calling for Thomas to risk “reputational harm” and rescind the invitation.

Earlier this week, in announcing the president’s arrival, Thomas called the visit a moment that “transcends Morehouse.”

“As an institution and a community, we bear a profound responsibility and obligation to be the beacon of hope and progress in these challenging times,” Thomas said. “We must take intentional, strategic action that serves the present moment and the collective future of our country and the world.”

On Thursday, Brown will host a campus-wide virtual meeting, where he and Thomas will field questions and talk to members of the faculty. Thomas met with students on Tuesday.

“From my perspective, this is not a problem,” Brown said. “Morehouse is committed to being a place for informed dialogue and to offer a range of different perspectives. I knew that the faculty would appreciate an opportunity to engage and when I reached out, they confirmed what I was thinking.”

Illya Davis, Morehouse’s director of Freshmen and Seniors’ Academic Success, said as a philosopher, he welcomes and expects the debate that is currently raging.

“There is a reciprocity on the table. It garners him certain support from a demographic that he needs and then on the other side, it gives Morehouse the opportunity to allow its students to do what they do and that is engage ideas in the public,” said Davis, who is also a 1989 Morehouse graduate. “To scrutinize those ideas and to ensure legitimate engagement. We do not pander, so the beauty of the Morehouse student is they are quite aware that there will be diverse ideas represented in public and that their responsibility is to always have a level of circumspection with regard to anyone who speaks.”

Alexander Burt, a Morehouse senior from Nashville, said he has mixed emotions about graduating in front of the president. Part of it comes from the hectic scene that any presidential visit would bring.

”Initially, I was like, “Wow, the president of the United States is coming,’” Burt said laughing. “But then I was like, ‘Oh, the president of the United States is coming.’”

Burt said he is ultimately excited and looking forward to Biden sharing words of encouragement with the Class of 2024.

”I want somebody who is going to come and speak to inspire me to go out and impact massive change in the world,” Burt said. ”I’m not really looking forward to a campaign stop. That’s one thing that I’ll be disappointed if that happened.”

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