Sick and fatigued from walking about four blocks to get to the press entrance of Morehouse’s 129th commencement ceremony, one thing was embedded in my mind — “what will Obama tell the class of 2013?”
After several hours had passed and the commencement ceremony began, the level of perseverance that was displayed as over 10,000 alumni, professors, administration, family members took me aback as spectators withstood the storms. As the rain calmed, distinguished members of the platform entered stage left and took their seats. Minutes later, a roar of applause took over the once reserved commencement space as President Obama erupted from Merrill Hall onto the stage.
So now, the first part of my anxiety was over — President Obama was actually here, at Morehouse College, donning the robe of a Morehouse Man. Then, as he sat onstage, I was still wary about what President Obama would say to these 530 African-American males graduating college — the anomalies of society.
The president started his speech with a lighthearted tone that warmed the hearts of many who were sitting soaked in the pouring rain.
“I also have to say that you all are going to get wet,” the noticeably cool president said, jokingly. “And I’d be out there with you if I could. But Secret Service gets nervous. So I’m going to have to stay here, dry. But know that I’m there with you in spirit. ”
After more warm one-liners to ease the crowd, President Obama developed a serious, yet conversational tone. President Obama revisited his past as a professor and began to educate the crowd on subjects such as rejecting complacency, ending excuses, and building family bonds.
President Obama tailored this speech directly to the Morehouse College class of 2013. Surprisingly, he mentioned Dr. Tobe Johnson’s scope class, the hassle of registering in Gloster Hall; he even went on to mention every Morehouse student’s bittersweet love, Crown Forum. This surprising knowledge of the nuances of Morehouse College won the crowd over and allowed him to paint a picture of a new type of African American male — one with no excuses.
“We’ve got no time for excuses — not because the bitter legacies of slavery and segregation have vanished entirely; they have not. Not because racism and discrimination no longer exist; we know those are still out there. It’s just that in today’s hyperconnected, hypercompetitive world, with millions of young people from China and India and Brazil — many of whom started with a whole lot less than all of you did — all of them entering the global workforce alongside you, nobody is going to give you anything that you have not earned,” he said.
Obama went on to say that the hardships that one endures, especially as a minority, should put them at an advantage to help others. He transitioned into reminding the class of 2013 that philanthropy should not come when one is well off and settled in their career.
“Whatever success I have achieved, whatever positions of leadership I’ve held, have depended less on Ivy League degrees or SAT scores or GPAs, and have instead been due to that sense of connection and empathy, the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most; people who didn’t have the opportunities that I had — because there, but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me,” the president said.
Obama’s transition into family, for me, was one of the most touching moments in his speech and evoked a strong emotion from the audience — so much so that sniffles could be heard from the section behind the press pool.
“I sure wish I had had a father who was not only present, but involved. Didn’t know my dad … I want to break that cycle where a father is not at home — (applause) — where a father is not helping to raise that son or daughter. … So be a good role model, set a good example for that young brother coming up,” Obamasaid.
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