Virginia State University Will Be the First HBCU to Host a Presidential Debate
Virginia State University (VSU) was selected by the The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) to host 2024's second presidential general election debate set to take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
VSU President Dr. Makola M. Abdullah acknowledges that the university is honored and grateful to have been chosen for this historic moment for VSU and for HBCUs nationwide.
In the VSU press release announcing the achievement, Eldon Burton, VSU Assistant Vice President for Government Relations explained that the university has "always been committed to excellence, inclusivity, and civic engagement." Burton looks forward to the lasting impact the event will have on the campus community and VSU's reputation.
Virginia State University was founded in 1882 and is a land grant institution in St. Petersburg, Virginia committed to serving a diverse population of men and women. VSU's mission is to "meet the educational needs of students, graduating lifelong learners who are well equipped to serve their communities as informed citizens, globally competitive leaders, and highly effective, ethical professionals."
The Commission on Presidential Debate was established in 1987 as a private, nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) organization. The CDP's mission is to "ensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that the general election debates are held every four years between the leading candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States." It began accepting applications for sites interested in hosting a presidential or vice presidential debate in January of 2023; the application period closed at the end of April.
CPD co-chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernández said in a statement that U.S. general election debates are a model for other countries to see candidates debate the issues in a neutral environment. The CPD "provides technical assistance to emerging democracies and others interested in establishing debate traditions in their countries." A few of the countries that staff have supported include: Bosnia, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Haiti, Lebanon, Niger, Peru, Romania, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Ukraine.
Additional awardees for the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential campaign debate season are Texas State University, Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and The University of Utah.