Harris to deliver keynote address during Coast Guard commencement

Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the keynote address during the United States Coast Guard Academy's Commencement exercises, according to a White House official. The ceremony is scheduled for May 18 in New London, Connecticut.  

In a release first obtained by CBS News, Rear Adm. Bill Kelly said the Academy is "honored" to host the vice president. 

"This will also be a memorable moment for our graduates before they head out across the country and around the globe to take their places in the fleet," Kelly said. 

Harris is also scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Tennessee State University, a historically Black university on May 7. 

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the graduation and commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Friday, May 28, 2021. Harris is the first woman to give the graduation speech at the Naval Academy. Susan Walsh / AP

Presidents and vice presidents deliver the keynote addresses at the five different military service academies on a rotating basis. Last year, Harris made history as the first woman to speak at the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland.  President Joe Biden will deliver the keynote address at the Naval Academy this year.

During her 2021 remarks, Harris spoke about some of the administration's challenges including cybersecurity and the coronavirus. 

"If we weren't clear before, we know now: The world is interconnected. Our world is interdependent. And our world is fragile." Harris warned. 

Mr. Biden will also deliver the commencement addresses at his alma mater, the University of Delaware.

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