Muriel Bowser Faces Cheers, Boos and ‘Free D.C.’ Chants at Howard Commencement
Students criticized Bowser’s housing and policing record as she highlighted Howard’s $1.2 billion economic impact and $25 million in annual student spending.
- On Saturday, Mayor Muriel Bowser delivered Howard University's 158th Commencement Convocation, but faced a mixed reception from graduating students skeptical of her housing and policing policies.
- Critics argue neighborhoods surrounding Howard became less hospitable to Black residents under Bowser, with concerns centered on displacement anxiety and developer access to city housing projects.
- Bowser's final budget proposed $469 million in reductions for housing and community programs, while the Council recently extended youth curfew-zone powers allowing police to disperse minors under 18.
- Addressing the "Free D.C." chants directly, Bowser told graduates to "be comfortable being misunderstood," citing her family's roots in Jim Crow-era Washington to defend her record.
- Bowser, who announced she will not seek a fourth term, described herself as "graduating" alongside the Class of 2026, marking the end of her nearly two decades in office.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Bowser faces cheers and protests while addressing Howard, UDC graduates
By D. Kevin McNeirSpecial to the AFRO Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s commencement addresses to both Howard University (HU) and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) on May 9 seemed like a page out of a Charles Dickens classic: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That’s because while she shared words of advice with the graduates, she was subjected to boisterous and alternating cheers and jeers. Some students…
Howard University Students Didn’t Boo Muriel Bowser Because They’re Rude
Source: Luke Johnson / Getty Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser came to Howard University on Saturday, trying to graduate herself from City Hall, as if she and the class of 2026 were walking the same stage. But those students were not fooled. They were not there to be props in her farewell narrative. They were not there to clap for a mayor who wanted to borrow the glow of the Mecca without answering for what happened to the city around it. T…
Black America Web
Get Up! Mornings With Erica CampbellHoward University Students Didn’t Boo Muriel Bowser Because They’re Rude. They Booed Because They Live Here
Source: Luke Johnson / Getty Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser came to Howard University on Saturday, trying to graduate herself from City Hall, as if she and the class of 2026 were walking the same stage. But those students were not fooled. They were not there to be props in her farewell narrative. They were not there to clap for a mayor who wanted to borrow the glow of the Mecca without answering for what happened to the city around it. T…
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