Let me start, of course, by thanking President Coico for that wonderful introduction, for her leadership here at City College, for this honorary degree. Just one. (Applause.) Ask your friends, your family, ask everyone you see in your neighborhood. Michelle Obama: (16:20) So the question is, how will we respond? Michelle obama speech transcript 2020 AP-21. Probably not. And with the education youve gotten at this fine school, and the experiences youve had in your lives, let me tell you, nothing - and I mean nothing - is going to stop you from fulfilling your dreams. It made me wonder, just how are people seeing me. And you look good. Now, yeah, it was satire, but if Im really being honest, it knocked me back a bit. What do I care about? Obama spoke . And of all the women at the Seneca Falls womens suffrage convention in 1848, just one lived to see women cast their votes. Youve got it. I cant wait to see what you all achieve in the years ahead. I am so proud to honor these American heroes todayand every dayfor their extraordinary service to our nation. Today, I want to urge you to actively seek out the most contentious, polarized, gridlocked places you can find. Just look at the story of Oberlin College. So Booker T. Washington pawned 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. That is the power of our differences to make us smarter and more creative. All right? Who are the incumbents and the candidates at every level of government, not just president, but state representative, city council, prosecutors, sheriff. So for me, being Mom-in-Chief is, and always will be, job number one. Or was I too soft, too much of a mom, not enough of a career woman? Think about those students who made bricks with their bare hands. It does not work if you disengage from the process. Read the full transcript of her speech here. Thank you so much. If you listen to them, then nothing will ever change. And my dad was so proud to pay that tuition bill on time each month, even taking out loans when he fell short. City College of New York Oberlin is likely the only college in America that I could have attended nearly two centuries ago, and I am honored to be part of the extraordinary legacy of this great institution. "Leave behind all the old ways of thinking that divide us: sexism, racial prejudice, status, greed," Obama said . Transcribe your audio files to find high-impact insights in minutes. And finally, most of all, I want to congratulate the Oberlin Class of 2015! God bless you, graduates. Below, watch and read the 44th president's full inspiring message and speech closing out the "Graduate . So I immersed myself in the policy details. And your salutatorian, whose Yemeni roots inspired her to study Yemini womens writing and to advocate for girls in her community, urging them to find their own voices, to tell their own stories. MRS. OBAMA: Oh, I. Political News Video amp Analysis. To celebrate the graduates whose final years of school have been upended, former first lady Michelle Obama and former president Barack Obama are taking part in a YouTube special. What kind of person do you want to be? (Applause.) (Applause. Easily integrate Rev using our robust APIs to start building your product quickly. I cant wait to see how high you soar. After all, Lucy Stone spent years speaking out for partial suffrage - for allowing women to vote only on things like school issues and local issuesbecause she realized that full suffrage was just too controversial. And in the face of all of that clamor, you might have an overwhelming instinct to just run the other way as fast as you can. (Applause.) So we need to invest in and strengthen our public universities today, and for generations to come. Graduates this is how you can finish the work that the generations before you have started, by staying open and hopeful, even in the tough times. "Over the past couple of months, our foundation has been shaken," I celebrated military kids with Kermit the Frog. And I know, as President Krislov understands, that electing the right folks mattersit matters a lot. Ive seen you speaking out in gun violence and fight climate change. The great moments of our history are not decades in our past; theyre happening right now, today, in our lifetimes. That is how you will have a meaningful journey on those clamorous highways of life. 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 Gods plan for you, then you will keep fulfilling your duty to people all across this country. Michelle Obama: (11:00) And they also understood that often, the biggest, most dramatic change happens incrementally, little by little, through compromises and adjustments over years and decades. See, this is my very last commencement address as First Lady of the United States. I am so proud of you. No, were all in this together. Its folks all across the country who for too long have had the luxury and privilege of looking away. And most of all, youve got yourselves -- and all of the heart, and grit, and smarts that got you to this day. That leads me to my second lesson, in an uncertain world time tested values like honesty and integrity, empathy and compassion. ), Let me start by thanking President Johnson for that very gracious introduction, and for awarding me with this honorary degree from an extraordinary institution. And the first thing we have to do is vote. Transcripts & captions for a better media workflow. Think about the millions of folks who got out to vote on Election Day, waiting in the cold and rain in lines that stretched for hours, refusing to leave until they made their voices heard. And I have seen how places that stifle the voices and dismiss the potential of their citizens are diminished; how they are less vital, less hopeful, less free. SOAPStone Speaker: Michelle Obama Occasion: City College . And as the years pass, youll feel the same freedom that Charles DeBow did when he was taking off in that airplane. And youve taken so many different paths to this moment. And I hope that youre excited to get started on that next chapter. Woo! (Laughter and applause.) It never is, especially for folks like you and me. (Applause.). And, graduates, with a degree from this amazing school, and all the status and connections that degree confers, you dont get to have no hands. And believe me, I know this from personal experience. Obama touched on the background of the school, the background of her own family and how it will inform the future of the graduates. (Laughter and applause.) Youve got it in you. 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 live up to are my own. If you cant even approach the police without fearing for your life. And, more importantly, you embody the very hopes and dreams carved into the base of that iconic statue not so far from where we sit -- on that island where so many of your predecessors at this school first set foot on our shores. So, yeah, I planted a garden, and hula-hooped on the White House Lawn with kids. Thank you. Get in there. ), Back then, black soldiers faced all kinds of obstacles. 19). Michelle Obama: (01:41) (Applause.). Do you know when your primary elections are held? May 9, 2015. I also want to tell you how proud and how moved I am to receive this honorary degree from this particular schoolthe first college in America to officially embrace the admission of black students, and the first co-ed school to grant bachelors degrees to women. I had to ignore all of the noise and be true to myself -- and the rest would work itself out. The obligation to use the opportunities youve had to help others. Well, let me just tell you, it is beyond a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today. She spoke about starting her own business as a Black woman, and paid tribute to the Black Lives . It did not define me. Lets let our graduates rest themselves. Now, did these compromises make these leaders sellouts? 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. Obama grew up near the school, and during her emotional commencement address, she said she wanted to share "the real story" about the South Side, a story about resilience and courage in the face of . We can take on those deep-rooted problems, and together -- together -- we can overcome anything that stands in our way. (Applause.) (Applause.). 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. You might be tempted to just recreate what you had here at Oberlinto find a community of like-minded folks and work with them on causes you care about, and just tune out all of the noise. Others choose to focus on their education and use that degree to address these issues and build a better life for themselves and those around them. The most accurate AI-powered transcription on the market. T-U! By channeling that discomfort you feel into activism and a democracy that was designed to respond to those who vote. I am just overwhelmed. That means raising your hand when you get a seat in that board meeting and asking the question, well, whose voices arent being heard here? But I also want to be very clear that with those successes comes a set of obligations - to share the lessons youve learned here at this school. And in many ways, this is a big day for me too. 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 sisters -- that has always been the story of African Americans here at Tuskegee. Michelle Obama: (02:44) Michelle Obama: (07:10) Ive seen you marching with peace and with purpose and that is why even in tough times like these, you continue to be what gives me hope. If anybody is wondering about the quality of education, just listening to those two speakers lets you know whats happening here. Michelle Obama: (09:57) Its up to you to couple every protest with plans and policies, with organizing and mobilizing and voting and thats my final piece of advice. (Applause.) Some do an honest days work and raise good kids. For others, it was the notion that Obama's speech, tied to the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. . (Applause. You speak more than 100 different languages -- whoa, just stop there. Search over 350 speeches by name,. She appealed directly to the youth facing the incoming . (Applause.) The educational theater student from right here in Harlem whos already an award-winning playwright and recently spoke at the White House. How do you want to give back? (Applause.) And I think this was the perfect place to be, because this is my last chance to share my love and admiration, and hopefully a little bit of wisdom with a graduating class. And when they finally deployed overseas, white soldiers often wouldnt even return their salutes. First Lady Michelle Obama used her final commencement address to deliver a series of important messages to this year's graduates. ), And of course, let us not forget Elizabeth Aklilu for her amazing performance of the National Anthem earlier today. (Applause.) (Applause.). Youll have unreasonable bosses and difficult clients and patients. FDRs plan for Social Security was called socialist, a fraud on the workingman. One opponent even stated that it would end the progress of a great country. So that debate was pretty contentious, too. Resources and Support for College Students, Resources and Support for Conservatory Students, Oberlin Marks 2020 Commencement Weekend with Virtual Celebrations, College Announces 2019 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients, Main Library Will Be Named for Activist, Alumna Mary Church Terrell. But when anger is focused, when its channeled into something more, oh, that is the stuff that changes history. One of those first pilots, a man named Charles DeBow, put it this way. Spencer Platt / Getty Images. Thank you so much. (Applause. Try Rev for free and save time transcribing, captioning, and subtitling. No, our greatness has always come from people who expect nothing and take nothing for granted -- folks who work hard for what they have then reach back and help others after them. And dont just ask yourselves these questions. Your day. MRS. OBAMA: Thank you all. The Best Speech-to-Text Solution for Your Business Learn how Rev fits into your businesses workflow. Think about how just 10 years ago, gay marriage was legal in just one state in this countryjust oneand today, it is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. (Applause.) (Applause. It was also Michelle Obama's first commencement address as First Lady. I want to recognize Major General Williams; Congresswoman Sewell; Zachary; Kalauna; to all of the trustees, the faculty, the staff here at Tuskegee University. It needed to be voiced, not just on the streets, but in the halls of power. Look, I love our daughters more than anything in the world, more than life itself. Yet when they hit the ground, folks treated them like they were nobody -- as if their very existence meant nothing. Are you thinking of teaching in an under-served school? Can Michelle Obama's speech offer, as an amendment to . Not just when my husband or somebody you like is on the ballot. Many suffered verbal abuse at the hands of their instructors. They knew that our policies matter. (Applause.) (Applause.). The Complete Text Transcripts of Over 100 Barack Obama Speeches Where women are full participants in a country's politics or economy, societies are continue likely the succeed. God bless. But the fact is, it works. MRS. OBAMA: Well, goodness. I believe in you all. The statements made by Michelle Obama are inspiring and appealing to a majority of the young . See, that blue-collar job helped to pay the small portion of my college tuition that wasnt covered by loans or grants or my work-study or my summer jobs. So get out there and volunteer on campaigns, and then hold the folks you elect accountable. Thank you -- thank you so much for this warm welcome, this tremendous hospitality. (Applause.) If my generation did trust me, wed have fixed the whole of this long time ago, but that doesnt mean we should feel hopeless. Thank you for creating these fabulous individuals. Michelle Obama: (08:23) Theyre rooted in decades of structural challenges that have made too many folks feel frustrated and invisible. Michelle Obama: (06:00) A RESTful API to access Revs workforce of fast, high quality transcriptionists and captioners. See, graduates, this is what happens when you turn your attention outward and decide to brave the noise and engage yourself in the struggles of our time. He was a Hungarian immigrant whose harrowing escape from Nazism and communism shaped both his talent for business and his commitment to philanthropy. ), And finally, while peaceful protest can be powerful, if we truly want to reform our criminal justice system, then we need to come together and do the hard work of changing our laws and policies to reflect our values. It is beyond a pleasure and an honor for me to be here with all of you today. Transcript: Read Michelle Obama's full speech from the 2016 DNC It certainly caught the attention of the press both on Monday and when the first lady tested it out last month during a. And today, it is no longer remarkable to see two beautiful black girls walking their dogs on the South Lawn of the White House lawn. ), Just think about the arc of this universitys history. (Applause.) And I want you to consider this as a public service announcement for anyone who hasnt bought the flowers or the cards or the gifts yet -- all right? Lucretia Mott, Cesar Chavez, the folks at Stonewall, they were all angry, but those folks were also driven by compassion, by principle, by hope. (Applause.) Michelle Obama: (15:17) 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 youre 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. First of all, it is beyond a pleasure and an honor to be here to celebrate the City College of New York Class of 2016! The world wont always see you in those caps and gowns. People screamed at her. So, again, Im proud of you all. 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 Gods plan for me. I did my research. Because talent and effort combined with our various backgrounds and life experiences has always been the lifeblood of our singular American genius. And that's why we support the participate of women is parliaments and peace processes, schools and the economy. There is no substitute for it. To those mornings you woke up early to get a spot under The Shed to watch the Golden Tigers play. Let me just say a few thank yous. In that role, I encountered students who had every advantage - their parents paid their full tuition, they lived in beautiful campus dorms. (Applause.). (Applause. ), Before I begin, I just want to say that my heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved Eric Marks, Jr. First lady Michelle Obama gave the commencement address to the 2015 graduating class of Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, in which she talks about growing into her official role, criticism . I am feeling all of that too. Follow whats happening in your city hall, your statehouse, Washington, D.C. A few years later, when George Washington Carver first came here for his research, there was no laboratory. Now, Im not naive. So if you hear people expressing bigoted views or talking down to those people, it is up to you to call them out because we wont solve anything. (Applause.) And I know you worked hard to make it to this moment, didnt you? So graduates, it is your time now and look, our democracy isnt perfect. Because while weve come so far, the truth is that those age-old problems are stubborn and they havent fully gone away. Mike Judge on crooked paths UCSD Commencement 2009: Mike Judge The vibrancy that comes from a diversity of ideas and perspectives, the chance to leave this world a little better than you found it. Michelle Obama Commencement Speech Transcript 2020, Congressional Testimony & Hearing Transcripts. It deadens your spirit and it hardens your heart may seem like a winning strategy in the short run. It will be stressful and frustrating, and youll probably have to make some painful compromises along the way. And even amidst the joy and excitement of graduation, I know that you may be feeling some real sadness about leaving this community behind. I wish you the best of luck. 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