Morehouse College is praising its students and faculty after at least seven graduates and one faculty member sat with their backs turned to President Biden as he delivered his commencement address at the Atlanta school earlier Sunday.

Morehouse said “peaceful assembly is core” to the school’s “social justice tradition,” and its administration “fully supports and defends the right to peacefully protest and the expression of one’s views openly.” 

Given its most famous alumni, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Morehouse said it was “fitting that a moment of organized, peaceful, activism would occur on our campus while the world is watching to continue a critical conversation.” 

“We are proud of the resilient class of 2024’s unity in silent protest, showing their intentionality in strategy, communication, and coordination as a 412-person unit,” Morehouse said.

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The commencement came after weeks of nationwide campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that, according to its Health Ministry, has killed at least 35,000 Palestinians. 

Biden told the graduates of historically Black Morehouse College that he heard the voices of the protesters and that the scenes from Gaza break his heart, too. 

“I support peaceful nonviolent protest,” he told students at the all-male college, some who wore Palestinian scarves known as keffiyehs around their shoulders on top of their black graduation gowns. “Your voices should be heard, and I promise you I hear them.”

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Biden said there’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, “that’s why I’ve called for an immediate cease-fire to stop the fighting” and bring home hostages still being held by Hamas after its militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The president commented on the Middle East near the end of a commencement address in which he also reflected on American democracy and his role in safeguarding it.

The announcement that Biden would be Morehouse’s commencement speaker drew some backlash among the faculty and those who opposed the president’s handling of the war. Some Morehouse alumni circulated an online letter condemning administrators for inviting Biden and solicited signatures to pressure Morehouse President David Thomas to rescind it.

President Biden speaks during the graduation ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta on May 19, 2024. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In the end, there were no disruptions of the Morehouse commencement, while applause for Biden was mostly subdued. At least seven graduates and one faculty member sat with their backs turned during Biden’s address, and another student draped himself in a Palestinian flag. Protesters near the ceremony carried signs that said “Free Palestine,” “Save the Children” and “Ceasefire Now” as police on bikes kept watch.

On stage behind the president as he spoke, academics unfurled a Congolese flag. The African country has been mired in a civil war, and many racial justice advocates have called for greater attention to the conflict as well as American help in ending the violence.

CNN paid tribute to longtime Republican political commentator Alice Stewart who was found dead Saturday in the Belle View neighborhood in northern Virginia.

Law enforcement told the network they did not suspect foul play in the death of Stewart, 58, whose body was discovered outdoors. CNN said police believe she suffered a medical emergency.

Stewart’s death left her colleagues at CNN stunned and saddened. Anchor Jake Tapper called it “an unspeakable loss” during Sunday’s edition of “State of the Union.”

While Stewart worked for staunchly conservative Republican candidates, Tapper noted she had deep friendships with people on the other side of the political spectrum.

Ashley Allison, a Democratic political commentator on the program, held back tears as she described their off-camera connection. She said the two grew close following a heated exchange on CNN over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Allison said she reluctantly accepted Stewart’s invitation for a drink after the discussion. They eventually became close friends and trained together for a marathon.

“That night we got to know each other for who we were and it wasn’t about politics,” she said. “She was a good person and I loved her and I’m really going to miss her.”

Stewart was a former local TV anchor who moved into politics when she became communications director for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. She held the same position on Huckabee’s 2008 presidential campaign and served in a similar capacity for GOP presidential aspirants Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Stewart often called for civility during the 2016 campaign when Cruz faced harsh attacks from former President Donald Trump.

“That was always Alice,” Tapper said. “She was all about civility and all about kindness.”

She joined CNN ahead of the 2016 presidential election and had been a regular presence since. Her last appearance was Friday on “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer.”

“Alice was a friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” CNN Chairman Mark Thompson said in a statement. “A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage, known across our bureaus not only for her political savvy, but for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”