Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser delivered Howard University’s 158th Commencement Convocation on Saturday, but many of the graduating students weren’t exactly pleased to have her there.
According to video footage circulating on social media, many in the crowd booed the mayor as she took the stage and delivered her speech. Some news outlets said she received a “mixed reaction” from the crowd.
HBCU Gameday reported that the university was set to award Bowser an honorary degree. She took the stage to give what was meant to be a farewell message, but quickly faced a hostile response from the graduating class. While some students cheered, it seems the majority expressed their distaste for the mayor. Some yelled “Free D.C.!” while the mayor spoke.
Bowser got well earned loud boos from most students @ Howard commencement & they broke out into “Free DC” chants as she gave a speech all about herself. Deserved for a mayor whose policies have been nothing short of cruel to DC’s most vulnerable + chums it up w/ Trump & S Miller. pic.twitter.com/Q4h3Cq36xW
— Scott Goldstein (@ScottGoldstein) May 9, 2026
Before the event, students circulated a flyer saying, “We, the students, reject Mayor Bowser as our 2026 Commencement Speaker!” The document listed a series of reasons for rejecting the mayor, including her support for youth curfew zones, taking money from AIPAC, and failing to resist what it calls the Trump administration’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.”
This statement was submitted by the Howard University Student Organizers of the protest of Mayor Muriel Bowser as the speaker at their graduation. These are not “misguided young people who don’t understand the issues” these are brilliant Black college students. Much Respect 👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/rCLyplMgc7
— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) May 11, 2026
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At the bottom of the flyer is a list of ways people can protest Bowser’s speech, including walking out while she was speaking, heckling, or turning their backs to her as she spoke.
— Gorgeous Grind (@B_Humble_azz) May 10, 2026
There were multiple reasons for the protest. Some students felt Bowser was centering the event on herself on a day that was supposed to be about graduating students, according to HBCU Gameday.
Bowser announced last year that she would not seek another term. A Washington Post poll showed that the mayor’s approval rating had dropped below 50 percent. Many residents disapproved of her handling of crime and homelessness in the district.
Corruption is also an issue. The FBI has conducted four investigations into the Bowser administration since 2023. Three of the probes led to criminal charges and one conviction.
The mayor also came under scrutiny after she took a trip in 2023 that was funded by Qatar’s government.
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