First Lady Michelle Obama Tuskegee University Commencement Address (C-SPAN)

Summary

In this inspiring commencement speech at Tuskegee University, Michelle Obama reflects on the challenges faced by African-Americans throughout history, particularly the Tuskegee Airmen, and the importance of perseverance, resilience, and self-determination. She shares personal experiences of overcoming societal expectations and prejudice, emphasizing the value of staying true to oneself and maintaining faith in one's journey. Obama encourages graduates to channel their education and personal strength to contribute positively to society, urging them to engage in civic duties like voting and mentoring. Her message centers on empowerment, progress, and the boundless potential within each individual.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Michelle Obama congratulates the Tuskegee University Class of 2015, expressing pride in their achievements and hard work.
• 🛫 She reflects on the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, highlighting their courage and success in overcoming racial discrimination during World War II.
• 🔨 She emphasizes the perseverance of African-Americans in the face of obstacles, drawing on the historical significance of Tuskegee University as a place where students built their future with grit and resilience.
• 👩‍👧‍👧 Michelle shares personal experiences of facing public scrutiny and stereotypes, especially as the first African-American First Lady.
• 🌱 She speaks about her role as First Lady, focusing on issues personal to her, such as healthy living, military families, and education, while staying authentic to herself.
• 💡 She advises the graduates to follow their own paths, make decisions true to themselves, and not be swayed by external pressures or societal expectations.
• 🗳️ Michelle stresses the importance of voting in every election to shape the future and have a say in the community, urging graduates to stay involved in civic duties.
• 🤝 She encourages graduates to take action, mentor others, and uplift their communities, just like the Tuskegee Airmen and previous generations who paved the way for future success.
• ✈️ She uses the metaphor of flight to symbolize the freedom and progress that come from rising above challenges, urging graduates to pursue their goals with confidence and determination.
• 🙏 Finally, she encourages faith in God's plan, resilience, and staying true to one's values as keys to overcoming life's challenges and achieving success.

Q & A

What is the occasion for Michelle Obama's speech?

Michelle Obama delivered this speech at the commencement ceremony for Tuskegee University's Class of 2015.

Who does Michelle Obama acknowledge at the beginning of her speech?

She acknowledges President Johnson, Major General Williams, Congresswoman Zachary Colana, the trustees, faculty, staff, parents, siblings, and friends of the graduates.

What tragic event does Michelle Obama mention early in her speech?

Michelle Obama expresses condolences for the passing of Eric Marx Jr., a promising aerospace engineer who was on his way to achieving his dream of following in the footsteps of the Tuskegee Airmen.

What historical figure does Michelle Obama reference while discussing Tuskegee's legacy?

She references Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee University, who showed resilience by pawning his pocket watch to buy a kiln so students could build their own dormitories.

How does Michelle Obama describe the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II?

She describes the Tuskegee Airmen as highly educated and skilled pilots who faced discrimination, menial assignments, and verbal abuse, but ultimately became one of the most successful pursuit squadrons in military history.

What personal challenges did Michelle Obama face when she became First Lady?

Michelle Obama faced public scrutiny about her appearance, personality, and role, with some questioning if she was 'too loud' or 'too angry,' and others ridiculing her with offensive portrayals and slights.

How did Michelle Obama cope with public criticism during her time as First Lady?

Michelle Obama focused on staying true to herself, her values, and her goals, ignoring external noise and criticism. She found peace by trusting in God's plan for her and following her own moral compass.

What advice does Michelle Obama give to the graduates about handling societal pressures?

She advises graduates to stay true to their authentic selves, ask fundamental questions about who they are, and choose their own path, rather than conforming to the expectations of others.

What does Michelle Obama say about the challenges graduates will face in the future?

She warns that graduates will face prejudice and be overlooked or misjudged by society, but encourages them to stay hopeful and channel their frustrations into constructive actions like voting and community involvement.

What is Michelle Obama's final message to the graduates about their future?

She urges the graduates to have faith in themselves and God's plan for them, reminding them that they have everything they need to succeed and soar, just as the Tuskegee Airmen did, symbolizing progress and freedom.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Welcoming the Graduates and Honoring Eric Marx Jr.

Michelle Obama begins her speech by thanking President Johnson and Tuskegee University for the honorary degree. She acknowledges Major General Williams, faculty, and staff, and shares her heartfelt condolences for the tragic loss of Eric Marx Jr., an aspiring aerospace engineer. She praises the concert choir for their performance and highlights the support of families and friends who helped the graduates along the way. She also gives a special shout-out to the mothers present, recognizing their hard work and dedication. Obama expresses pride in the Tuskegee University class of 2015, celebrating their accomplishments and connection to the university's legacy.

05:02

✈️ The Tuskegee Airmen and Overcoming Discrimination

Michelle Obama reflects on the history of Tuskegee University, particularly focusing on the Tuskegee Airmen. She describes the racism and challenges they faced, including being deemed inferior by 'scientific studies' and subjected to menial tasks and verbal abuse during training. Despite this, they became one of the most successful squadrons, demonstrating that black and white soldiers could fight together, setting the stage for broader social change. Their resilience became a symbol of liberation for African Americans, showing that they had a duty not only to their country but to the black community to pave the way forward.

10:05

🚀 Tuskegee's Legacy of Perseverance

Obama highlights the enduring history of Tuskegee University, where generations of African Americans overcame enormous obstacles to rise above societal limitations. She recounts how students, led by Booker T. Washington, built the campus brick by brick and how George Washington Carver innovated in a lab made from discarded items. This resilience continued through the Civil Rights era, as Tuskegee graduates became engineers, scientists, teachers, and more. She emphasizes that Tuskegee’s story is one of rising hopes and fortunes for African Americans, and now it’s the graduates’ turn to take up that legacy.

15:06

🌟 Pressure and Expectations of Legacy

Drawing on her own experiences, Obama talks about the pressure graduates might feel to live up to the expectations of their predecessors. She shares her journey of becoming the first African American First Lady and how she faced scrutiny and misconceptions about her identity. From being caricatured in media to enduring insults about her character, she learned to focus on her values and let her true self guide her. Obama stresses that staying authentic to who you are, despite external noise, is key to achieving peace of mind and fulfilling your potential.

20:09

💪 The Power of Authenticity and Resilience

Obama discusses the importance of authenticity and making decisions based on personal values, rather than succumbing to societal pressures. She highlights how her choices as First Lady, such as promoting healthy families, honoring military families, and inspiring education, reflected her personal beliefs and were strategic, substantive, and meaningful. By being true to herself, she found freedom and fulfillment in her role. She urges the graduates to listen to their own instincts when deciding their paths and to make sure those choices reflect their own desires and goals, not others’ expectations.

25:11

📢 Overcoming the Challenges Ahead

Obama encourages the graduates to prepare for the inevitable challenges they will face, especially those rooted in systemic racism and discrimination. She acknowledges the struggles of feeling invisible or underestimated, drawing from both her and her husband's experiences with racial bias. However, she stresses that these difficulties should not lead to despair or giving up. Instead, she calls for action—starting with voting—as a way to shape their communities and futures. She emphasizes that history shows us the power of resilience and collective action in overcoming even the toughest obstacles.

🗳️ The Importance of Voting and Civic Engagement

Obama underscores the necessity of voting, not just during high-profile elections but in every election. She ties this back to the legacy of Tuskegee’s history, where students, scientists, and airmen all contributed to the advancement of African Americans through hard work and dedication. She stresses that civic participation is essential to driving change, whether through mentoring, volunteering, or supporting others in their educational pursuits. Drawing from the example of Charles DeBow, one of the first Tuskegee Airmen, she emphasizes that the graduates’ responsibility is to continue uplifting future generations.

✈️ Taking Flight Towards Freedom and Progress

In her closing remarks, Obama encourages the graduates to have faith in their abilities and trust in their preparation. She reminds them that they have everything they need to succeed: the education from Tuskegee, the support of their families, and the inner strength that brought them this far. By staying true to themselves and trusting God’s plan, they will continue to make progress and rise above challenges. Just like the Tuskegee Airmen who felt free in the skies, she tells the graduates that they too will soar as they take on the future.

Keywords

💡Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American military pilots who fought in World War II. In the script, they are celebrated for overcoming racism and prejudice to become one of the most successful squadrons in U.S. military history. Their story symbolizes resilience, determination, and the pursuit of excellence in the face of adversity, which ties into the broader theme of breaking barriers and soaring above societal limitations.

💡Double Duty

This concept refers to the dual responsibility the Tuskegee Airmen felt: serving their country in battle and paving the way for future generations of African Americans. Michelle Obama emphasizes that these pilots not only fought for their country but also to uplift the African American community by proving their capabilities. The 'double duty' theme encourages the graduates to see their responsibilities in a similar light, as their successes will also impact others.

💡Discrimination

Discrimination is a key theme in the speech, referring to the systemic racial injustices faced by African Americans, including the Tuskegee Airmen and even Michelle Obama herself. The speech highlights how the Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to prejudice despite their skills and achievements. Obama connects this to her own experiences of being stereotyped and judged, demonstrating that discrimination is a persistent issue that must be confronted.

💡Legacy

Legacy refers to the lasting impact of past generations, particularly those who faced and overcame great challenges. Obama talks about the legacy of Tuskegee University and the many African Americans who made history there, urging the graduates to continue that legacy. She highlights the responsibility of carrying forward the work of those who fought for equality, both through personal achievements and by helping others rise.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover from difficulties, a key theme in the speech. The Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee University, and African Americans in general have shown resilience in the face of immense challenges, from slavery to segregation. Obama emphasizes the importance of this quality, urging graduates to persevere through hardships and remain steadfast in their values and goals.

💡Identity

Obama discusses identity as a central theme, urging the graduates to stay true to who they are. She shares her own struggles with public perception and stereotypes, explaining how she had to define herself on her own terms rather than conforming to societal expectations. This message is important for the graduates as they step into a world that may try to pigeonhole them, just as it did to her and others before them.

💡Faith

Faith is a concept Obama brings up as a source of strength and guidance. She discusses how having faith in God’s plan for her helped her navigate difficult times. The idea of faith also relates to trusting oneself and staying grounded in personal values, which she advises the graduates to do as they face challenges in their lives and careers.

💡Self-Definition

Self-definition is the process of determining one's own identity and path in life, independent of external expectations. Obama emphasizes this when discussing how she chose her causes and role as First Lady based on what felt authentic to her, rather than conforming to others' opinions. She encourages the graduates to chart their own course and make choices that align with their true selves.

💡Service

Service is a recurring theme, especially in the context of giving back to the community. Obama talks about the graduates’ responsibility to use their education and talents to help others. She emphasizes that true progress comes when people work not only for their personal success but also for the betterment of society, much like the Tuskegee Airmen who served both their country and their community.

💡Overcoming Adversity

This concept refers to the ability to rise above difficulties, a key message of the speech. Obama reflects on the adversities faced by African Americans throughout history, from slavery to the civil rights era, and draws a parallel to the challenges the graduates might face in the future. She urges them to maintain resilience and keep pushing forward, even when faced with discrimination and societal barriers.

Highlights

Michelle Obama begins her speech by thanking President Johnson for the honorary degree and recognizing the significance of Tuskegee University.

She pays tribute to Eric Marx Jr., a promising aerospace engineer whose life was tragically cut short.

Michelle Obama highlights the Tuskegee Airmen, reflecting on their resilience in the face of racial discrimination and their double duty to serve their country and the Black community.

She shares how the Tuskegee Airmen’s success in the military demonstrated that Black people and white people could fight together, and how this symbolized broader societal progress.

Michelle Obama reflects on the legacy of Tuskegee University, including figures like Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver, and their contributions to African-American progress.

She recounts her own experiences with public scrutiny and media stereotypes as First Lady, sharing how she was portrayed in unflattering ways and how she learned to rise above it.

Michelle emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and not letting others define you, even when faced with challenges or stereotypes.

She encourages the graduates to chart their own paths in life, whether it's pursuing unconventional careers or going against societal expectations.

Michelle Obama urges the graduates to remain involved in their communities and use their education and skills to uplift others, drawing parallels to the Tuskegee legacy.

She stresses the importance of voting as a critical tool for making progress in society, particularly for African-Americans.

Michelle Obama highlights how the struggles and indignities faced by African-Americans, such as racial profiling and job discrimination, persist today.

She speaks about overcoming the frustrations of being overlooked or misjudged, advocating for resilience and the power of organizing and education.

Michelle Obama cites the historical significance of Tuskegee's past and how its students have always risen above adversity to shape the future of the Black community.

She closes with a message of empowerment, encouraging graduates to trust in themselves and God's plan for their lives, assuring them they have everything they need to succeed.

Michelle Obama concludes with a powerful metaphor of flying, urging the graduates to soar high, like the Tuskegee Airmen, toward their goals and aspirations.

Transcripts

please join me in welcoming the first

lady of the United States of America Mrs

Michelle

Obama

yay thank you

all thank you so

much let's let our graduates rest

themselves you've worked hard for those

seats well let me start by thanking

President Johnson for that very gracious

introduction and for awarding me with

this honorary degree from an

extraordinary institution I am proud to

have this degree very proud and thank

you thank you so

much I want to recognize Major General

Williams congresswoman su Zachary colana

to all of the trustees The Faculty the

staff here at Tuskegee University thank

you thank you so much for this warm

welcome this tremendous Hospitality man

I'm so glad to be

here

but before I I begin I just want to say

that my heart goes out to everyone who

knew and loved Eric Marx Jr I understand

he was such a talented young man a

promis ing aerospace engineer who was

well on his way to achieving his dream

of following in the footsteps of the

Tuskegee

Airmen and Eric was taken from us far

too soon uh and our thoughts and prayers

will continue to be with his family his

friends and this entire

Community I also have to recognize the

concert choir wow you guys are good well

done beautiful

song and I have to join in recognizing

all the folks up in the stands the

parents siblings

friends so many others who have poured

their love and support into these

graduates every step of the way yeah

this is your

day your day now on this day before

Mother's Day I've got to give a special

out shout out to all the moms

here yay

moms and I want you to consider this as

a public service announcement for anyone

who hasn't bought the flowers or the

cards or the gifts yet all

right I'm trying to cover

you but remember that one rule is keep

mom happy all right

and finally most of all I want to

congratulate the men and women of the

Tuskegee University classs of

2015

Tu I love

that we could do that all

day I'm so proud of you

all and you look good

well

done you all have come here from all

across the

country to study to learn maybe have a

little fun along the way from freshman

year and Adams or young

Hall to those late night food runs to

the

[Applause]

coupe I did my research

to those mornings you woke up early to

get a spot under the shed to watch the

golden Tigers

play yeah I've been

watching at the White House we got all

kinds of

[Applause]

ways and whether you played Sports

yourself or sang in the choir or played

in the band joined a fraternity or

sorority after

today all of you will take your your

spot in the long line of men and women

who have come here and distinguished

themselves and this

University you will follow alums like

many of your parents and grandparents

aunts and uncles leaders like Robert

Robinson tailor the groundbreaking

architect and administrator here who's

recently honored on a postage

stamp you will follow Heroes like Dr

Boon

Robinson who surv rived the billy clubs

and The Tear glass of bloody Sunday in

Selma the story of Tuskegee is full of

stories like theirs men and women who

came to this city seized their own

Futures and wound up shaping the Ark of

history for African-Americans and all

Americans and I'd like to begin today by

reflecting on that history starting back

at the time when the Army chose Tuskegee

as the site of its Airfield and flight

school for black

Pilots back

then black soldiers faced all kinds of

obstacles there were the so-called

scientific studies that said that black

men's Brains were smaller than white

men's official Army reports stated that

black soldiers were childlike shiftless

unmoral and untruthful and as one quote

stated if fed loyal and compliant

so while the Airmen selected for this

program were actually Highly Educated

many already had college degrees and

pilot licenses they were presumed to be

inferior during training they were often

assigned to menial tasks like

housekeeping or Landscaping many

suffered verbal abuse at the hands of

their instructors when they ventured off

base the white Sheriff here in town

called them boy and ticketed them for

the most minor

offenses and when they finally deployed

overseas white so soldiers often

wouldn't even return their

salutes now just think about what that

must have been like for those young men

here they were trained to operate some

of the most complicated Hightech

Machines of their

day flying at hundreds of miles an hour

with the tips of their wings just 6 in

apart yet when they hit the ground round

folks treated them like they were

nobody as if their very existence meant

nothing now those Airmen could easily

have let that experience clip their

wings but as you all know instead of

being defined by the discrimination and

the doubts of those around them they

became one of the most successful

pursuit squadrons in our

military they went on to show the world

that if black folks and white folks

could fight together and fly together

then surely surely they could eat at a

lunch counter together surely their kids

could go to school together you see

those Airmen always

understood that they had a double duty

one to their country and another to all

the black folks who were counting on

them to pave the way

forward so for those

Airmen the act of flying itself was a

symbol of Liberation for themselves and

for all

African-Americans one of those first

Pilots a man named Charles debau put it

this way he said that a

takeoff was in his words a never failing

Miracle where all the bumps would smooth

off you're in the air out of this world

free and when he was up in the sky

Charles sometimes looked down to see

black folks out in the cotton fields not

far from here the same Fields were

decades before their ancestors worked as

slaves and he knew that he was taking to

the skies for them to give them and

their children something more to hope

for something to Aspire to and in so

many ways that never failing Miracle the

constant work to rise above the bumps in

our path to Greater freedom for our

brothers and and sisters that has always

been the story of African-Americans here

at Tuskegee and just just think about

the Arc of this University's history

back in the late 1800s the school needed

a new dormatory but there was no money

to pay for it so Booker T Washington

pwned his pocket watch to buy a kiln and

students used their bare hands to make

bricks to build that dorm and a few

other buildings along the way

a few years later when George Washington

Carver first came here for his research

there was no laboratory so he dug

through trash piles and collected old

bottles and teacups and fruit jars to

use in his first

experiments generation after generation

students here have shown that same grit

that same resilience to soar past

obstacles and outrages past the threat

of Countryside lynchings past the

humility ation of Jim Crow past the

turmoil of the Civil Rights era and then

they went on to become scientists

engineers nurses and teachers and

communities all across the country and

continue to lift others up along the

way and while the history of this campus

isn't perfect the defining story of

Tuskegee is the story of rising hopes

and fortunes for all

African-Americans and now graduates

it's your turn to take up that

cause and let me tell you you should

feel so proud of making it to this day

and I hope that you're excited to get

started on that next

chapter but I also imagine that you

might think about all that history all

those Heroes who came before you and you

might also feel a little pressure you

know pressure to live up to the legacy

of those who came before you pressure to

meet the expectations of

others and believe me I understand that

kind of

pressure I've experienced a little bit

of it

myself you see graduates I didn't start

out as the fully firm formed first lady

who stands before you today no no I had

my share of bumps along the way back

when my husband first started

campaigning for president folks had all

sorts of questions of me what kind of

first lady would I be what kinds of

issues would I take on would I be more

like Laura Bush or Hillary Clinton or

Nancy

Reagan and the truth is those same

questions would have been posed to any

candidate spouse that's just the way the

process works but as potentially the

first African-American first lady I was

also the focus of another set of

questions and speculations

conversations sometimes rooted in the

fears and misperceptions of others was I

too loud or too angry or too

emasculating

or was I too

soft too much of a mom not enough of a

career woman then there was the first

time I was on a magazine

cover it was a cartoon drawing of me

with a huge afro anim machine

gun now yeah it wish

satire but if I'm really being honest

that knocked me back a bit it made me

wonder well just how are people seeing

me or you might remember the onstage

celebratory fist bump between me and my

husband after a primary wi that was

referred to as a terrorist fist

jab and over the years folks have used

plenty of interesting words to describe

me one said I exhib exhibited a little

bit of upid ism another noted that I was

one of my husbands cronies of color

cable news charmingly refer referred to

me as Obama's baby

mama and of course Barack has endured

his fair share of insults and slights

even today there are still

folks questioning his citizenship

and all of

this used to really get to

me back in those days I had a lot of

sleepless nights worrying about what

people thought of me wondering if I

might be hurting my husband's chances of

winning his election fearing how my

girls would feel if they found out what

some people were saying about their

mom but

eventually I realized that if I wanted

to keep my sanity and not let others

Define me there was only one thing I

could do and that was to have faith in

God's plan for

me I had to ignore all of the

noise and be true to

myself and the rest would work itself

out so throughout this journey I have

learned to block everything out and

focus on my truth I had to answer some

basic questions for myself who am I no

really who am

I what do I care

about and the answers to those questions

have resulted in the woman who stands

before you

today a woman who is first and foremost

a

mom look I love our daughters more than

anything in the world more than life at

itself and while that may not be the

first thing that some folks want to hear

from an IB League educated lawyer it is

truly who I am so for me being Mom and

chief is and always will be job number

one next I've always felt a deep sense

of obligation to make the biggest impact

possible with this incredible platform

so I took on issues that were personal

to me issues like helping family Ames

rais healthier kids honoring the

incredible military families that I met

out on the campaign Trail inspiring our

young people to Value their education

and finish

college now some folks criticize my

choices for not being bold enough but

these were my choices my issues and I

decided to tackle them in a way that

felt most authentic to me in a way that

was both substantive and strategic but

also fun and hopefully inspiring so I

immersed myself in the policy details I

worked with Congress on legislation gave

speeches to CEOs military generals

Hollywood Executives but I also worked

to ensure that my efforts would resonate

with kids and families and that meant

doing things in a creative and

unconventional way so yeah I planted a

garden and hula hooped on the White

House lawn with kids I did some mom

dancing on TV I celebrated military kids

with Kermit the Frog I asked folks

across the country to wear their Alma

mat's t-shirts for college Signing Day

and at the end of the

day by staying true to the me I've

always known I found that this journey

has been incredibly

freeing because no matter what happened

I had the Peace of Mind of knowing that

all of the chatter the name calling the

doubting all of it was just noise it

didn't not Define me it didn't change

who I was and most importantly it

couldn't hold me back I have learned

that as long as I hold fast to my

beliefs and values and follow my own

moral compass then the only expectations

I need to leave live up to are my

own so

graduates that's what I want for all of

you I want I want you all to stay true

to the most real most sinc sincere most

authentic parts of yourselves I want you

to ask those basic questions who do you

want to be what inspires you how do you

want to give

back and then I want you to take a deep

breath and Trust yourselves to chart

your own course and make your mark on

the world maybe it feels like you're

supposed to go to law school but what

you really want to do is teach little

kids kids maybe your parents are

expecting you to come back home after

you graduate but you're feeling a pull

to travel the

world I I want you to listen to those

thoughts I want you to act with both

your mind but also your heart and no

matter what path you choose I want you

to make sure it's you choosing it and

not someone

else because here's the thing

the road ahead is not going to be

easy it never is especially for folks

like you and

me because while we've come so far the

truth is that those age-old problems are

stubborn and they haven't fully gone

away so there will be times just like

for those Airmen when you feel like

folks look right past you or they see

just a fraction of who you really

are the world won't always see you in

those caps and gowns they won't know how

hard you worked and how much you

sacrificed to make it to this day the

countless hours you spent studying to

get this diploma the multiple jobs you

work to pay for school the times you had

to drive home and take care of your

grandma the evenings you gave up to

volunteer at a food bank or organize a

campus fundraiser they don't know that

part of you and instead they will make

assumptions about who they think you are

based on their limited notion of the

world and my husband and I know how

frustrating that experience can be we've

both felt the sting of those daily

slights throughout our entire lives the

folks who crossed the street in fear of

their safety the clerks who kept a close

eye on us in all those department stores

the people at formal events who assumed

we were the help

and those who have questioned our

intelligence our honesty even our love

of this

country and I know that these little

indignities are obviously nothing

compared to what folks across the

country are dealing with every single

day those nagging worries that you're

going to get stopped or pulled over for

absolutely no reason the fear that your

job application will be overlooked

because of the way your name sounds the

agony of sending your kids to schools

that may no longer be separate but are

far from equal the

realization that no matter how far you

rise in life how hard you work to be a

good person a good parent a good citizen

for some folks it will never be

enough and all of that is going to be a

heavy burden to

carry it can feel

isolating can make you feel like your

life somehow doesn't matter that you're

like the Invisible Man that Tuskegee

grad Ralph Ellison wrote about all those

years

ago and as we've seen over the past few

years those feelings are real they're

rooted in decades of structural

challenges that have made too many folks

feel frustrated and invisible and those

feelings are playing out in communities

like Baltimore and Ferguson and so many

others across this

country but

graduates today I want to be very clear

that those feelings are not an excuse to

just throw up our hands and give up not

an excuse they are not an excuse to lose

hope to succumb to feelings of Despair

and anger only means that in the end we

lose but here's the thing our history

provides us with a better story a better

blueprint for how we can win it teaches

us that when we pull ourselves out of

the lowest emotional depths and we

Channel our frustrations into studying

and organizing and banding together then

we can build ourselves and our

communities up we can take on those Dee

rooted problems and together together we

can overcome anything that stands in our

way and the first thing we have to do is

vote hey no not just once in a while not

just when my husband or somebody you

like is on the ballot but in every

election at every level all of the

time because here's the

truth if you want to have a say in your

community if you truly want the power to

control your own destiny then you've got

to be involved you got to be at the

table you've got to vote vote vote vote

that's it that's the way we move forward

that's how we make progress for

ourselves and for our country that's

what's always happened here at Tuskegee

think about those students who made

bricks with their bare hands they did it

so that others could follow them and

learn on this campus too think about

that brilliant scientist who made his

lab from a trash pile he did it because

he ultimately wanted to help

sharecroppers feed their

families those

Airmen Who Rose above brutal

discrimination they did it so that the

whole world could see just how high

black folks could

soar that's the spirit we've got to

summon to take on the challenges we face

today and you don't have to be president

of the United States to start addressing

things like poverty and and education

and lack of opportunity graduates today

today you can mentor a young person and

make sure he or she takes the right path

today you can volunteer at an after

school program or food pantry today you

can help your cousin fill out her

College financial aid form so that she

can be sitting in those chairs one

day but just like all those folks who

came before us you've got to do

something to lay the groundwork for

future Generations that pilot I

mentioned earlier Charles deau he didn't

rest on his Laurels after Megan history

instead after he left the Army he

finished his education he became a high

school English teacher and a college

lecturer he kept lifting other folks up

through education he kept fulfilling his

double duty long after he hung up his

uniform and

graduates that's what we need from all

of you we need you to channel the magic

of Tuskegee toward the challenges of

today and here's what I really want you

to know you have

got everything you need to do this

you've got it in you because even if

you're nervous or unsure about what path

to take in the years ahead I want you to

realize that you've got everything you

need right now to succeed you got it you

got the knowledge and the skills honed

at here on this hallowed campus you got

families up in the stands who will

support you every step of the way and

most of all you've got

yourselves and all the heart and grit

and smarts that got you to this day and

if you rise above the noise and the

pressures that surround you if you stay

true to who you are and where you come

from if you have faith in God's plan for

you then you will keep fulfilling your

duty to the people all across this

country and as the years pass you'll

feel the same Freedom that Charles deau

did when he was taken off in that

airplane you will feel the bumps smooth

off you'll take part in that never

failing Miracle of progress and you'll

be flying through the air out of this

world free God bless you graduates can't

wait to see how high you Shore love you

all very proud thank you