Rand Paul to Speak at Howard University

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul will speak at one of the nation's oldest historically black colleges next Wednesday, Howard University in Washington, DC.

The effort is part of the Kentucky Republican's courtship of minority voters as he explores a potential 2016 presidential bid.

President Bill Clinton is scheduled to deliver the university's commencement address a week later.

A senior Paul aide told Business Insider that  Paul's speech would focus on education issues, civil liberties, minimum sentencing laws and the "history of the Republican Party and African American voters."

As a whole, Republicans are making an effort to reach out to minority voters after losing so many to the Obama campaigns in 2008 and 2012.  The Republican National Committee has called for the party to show greater "inclusion," of minorities, women and youths.

Paul appears to be trying to take the lead on these outreach efforts. In the past month, he has courted Latino voters by announcing he supports a path to citizenship and later this spring he will speak to black pastors about education reform.