HBCU to host general election presidential debate for first time

For the first time in U.S. history, a presidential debate during a general election will take place at a historically black college or university.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, will host the second debate of the 2024 general election cycle on October 1.

“We are honored and grateful to have been chosen to host a 2024 presidential debate,” VSU President Makola M. Abdullah said in a press release. “This is a historic moment for our university and for HBCUs across the country.”

Additional discussions will be held at Texas State University – a Hispanic-serving institution – on September 16 and at the University of Utah on October 9, the commission said. A vice presidential debate will take place at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania on September 25.

“In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another series of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will offer four unique opportunities to listen and learn,” the commission said in a statement announcing the locations.

The commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republican presidential primary candidates have faced off in three debates hosted by the Republican National Committee so far this year. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, did not attend any of these debates.

A fourth Republican debate is scheduled for December 6 and will be held at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

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