Youve worked hard for those seats! Thank you so much. But also by the rumbling of the age old fault lines that our country was built on the lines of race and power that are now once again. (Applause.). Maybe they dont even want to see you at all, but those people dont know your story. You see, graduates, I didnt start out as the fully-formed First Lady who stands before you today. I asked folks across the country to wear their alma maters T-shirts for College Signing Day. And I decided to tackle them in the way that felt most authentic to me -- in a way that was both substantive and strategic, but also fun and, hopefully, inspiring. And Im here because of all of you. Instead they will make assumptions about who they think you are based on their limited notion of the world. . Maybe they just arrived here recently, determined to give you a better life. 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. One of those first pilots, a man named Charles DeBow, put it this way. But Ive come to realize that most of that clamor is really coming from just a handful of very loud folks out on the fringes. (Applause.) ), 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. Ask your friends, your family, ask everyone you see in your neighborhood. Here they were, trained to operate some of the most complicated, high-tech machines of their day -- flying at hundreds of miles an hour, with the tips of their wings just six inches apart. (Applause. My life and so many of your lives are a testament of that truth. Its the news, without the news. Thank you. And you dont have to be President of the United States to start addressing things like poverty, and education, and lack of opportunity. I want you to listen to those thoughts. 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. (Applause.) 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. . We need you to channel the magic of Tuskegee toward the challenges of today. You deserve this celebration. I think your valedictorian put it best -- and this is a quote -- he said, The sole irreplaceable component of my CCNY experience came from learning alongside people with life experiences strikingly different from my own. He said, I have learned that diversity in human experience gives rise to diversity in thought, which creates distinct ideas and methods of problem solving. That was an okay quote. She urged the 493 members of the school's first full graduating class to give back to their communities: Fair use is permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. 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. I cant wait to see what you all achieve in the years ahead. I mean, weve talked about it -- Antonios, Im going to talk a little bit about diversity, thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) (Laughter.). (Applause.) I did my research. I've been watching! We see whats happening in stark relief. Sixteen million people who finally have health insurance. They act as if name-calling is an acceptable substitute for thoughtful debate, as if anger and intolerance should be our default state rather than the optimism and openness that have always been the engine of our progress. And I want to be very clear: Every city ordinance, every ballot measure, every law on the books in this countrythat is your concern. (Applause.) Just think about what that must have been like for those young men. SOAPStone Speaker: Michelle Obama Occasion: City College . You have exceptional musical talent and intellectual enthusiasm.We have a place just for you. Yay, moms! I really am. (Applause.) Generation after generation, this country has become more equal, more inclusive, more fair, more free. But trust me, graduates that kind of life catches up to you. And so many of those folks, for them, this school was the gateway to actually realizing that opportunity in their lives, founded on the fundamental truth that talent and ambition know no distinctions of race, nationality, wealth, or fame, and dedicated to the ideals that our Founding Fathers put forth more than two centuries ago: That we are all created equal, all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. City College became a haven for brilliant, motivated students of every background, a place where they didnt have to hide their last names or their accents, or put on any kind of airs because the students at this school were selected based not on pedigree, but on merit, and merit alone. Transcribe Your Own Content Try Rev for free and save time transcribing, captioning, and subtitling. So, graduates, with your glorious diversity, with your remarkable accomplishments and your deep commitment to your communities, you all embody the very purpose of this schools founding. Photo: AP. Enjoy the liberties that you have in this great country. New York, New York, MRS. OBAMA: Wow! Former First Lady Michelle Obama gave a commencement address online to the graduating class of 2020. The biomedical science major who was born in Afghanistan and plans to be a doctor, a policy maker and an educator. Its never come from folks who climb the ladder of success, or who happen to be born near the top and then pull that ladder up after themselves. By channeling that discomfort you feel into activism and a democracy that was designed to respond to those who vote. 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! So please enjoy this moment. You prepare to continue your journey on the clamorous highways of life.. (Laughter.) 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. Whoa. He kept lifting other folks up through education. (Applause. As he mentioned, my office did this wonderful competition to highlight colleges that are helping underserved young people graduate from high school and then go on to higher education. And I have to join in recognizing all the folks up in the stands -- the parents, siblings, friends -- (applause) -- so many others who have poured their love and support into these graduates every step of the way. Okay, youre bright. Oh and it felt like my whole world was collapsing in on itself. May 16, 2020 at 9:59 p.m. EDT. First Lady Michelle Obama used her final commencement address to deliver a series of important messages to this year's graduates. Read his full commencement address here. So, graduates, while I think its fair to say that our Founding Fathers never could have imagined this day, all of you are very much the fruits of their vision. 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. Ive experienced a little bit of it myself. (Applause.) 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. Former President Barack Obama spoke Saturday at "Graduate Together: High School Class of 2020 Commencement," an event organized by XQ Institute, a think tank that works with schools, in. I am just overwhelmed. As the annual blitz of commencement speeches get underway, CNN highlights some of the most memorable from years past. Speeches & Remarks The White House Office of the First Lady For Immediate Release May 11, 2013 Remarks by the First Lady at Eastern Kentucky University Commencement Eastern Kentucky University Alumni Coliseum Richmond, Kentucky 8:21 P.M. EDT MRS. OBAMA: Thank you so much. Thank you. (Laughter.) Speech-to-Text live streaming for live captions, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition API. 10 Nobel Prize winners, at least 11 Oscar recipients, and secures nearly $60 million per year in research awards that address pressing needs and lead to improvements in people's lives and communities around the world. 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. It did not define me. So graduates, I hope that what youre going through right now can be your wake up call that it pushes you, not just to think about what kind of career you want to build. Michelle Obama at City College of New York in 2016. But heres the thing, while this period is certainly unprecedented, it is not a complete anomaly, simply some random coincidence to be dismissed. Barack Obama gave a speech in a HBCU virtual commencement, in which he criticized US leadership. -- Below is the full text of Michelle Obama 's speech to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 25, 2016. I want to recognize Major General Williams; Congresswoman Sewell; Zachary; Kalauna; to all of the trustees, the faculty, the staff here at Tuskegee University. Not just when my husband or somebody you like is on the ballot. He became a high school English teacher and a college lecturer. MRS. OBAMA: Wow! Its the story of the son of immigrant -- Jamaican immigrants named Colin Powell who became a four star general, Secretary of State, and a role model for young people across the country. Michelle Obama calls for sticking to the personal individuality. Just one. This is Mrs . So I just want to take it all in. Read the full transcript of her video message here. They knew that our laws matter. And Im not going to lie to youfor many of you, this is going to be a pretty big transition. (Laughter.). Thank you so much. Add English on-screen subtitles for videos. But I also hope you will knock on doors and make some calls to elect a President who shares your values. You see, its wonderful to volunteer at your local homeless shelterplease do thatbut you also need to attend the city council meetings and make sure the zoning laws dont shut that shelter down. And thats why, in his remarks 50 years ago, Dr. King urged the class of 65 to stand up and be a concerned generation. And, graduates, that call to action applies just as much to all of you today. But, graduates, I can tell you, as First Lady, I have had the privilege of traveling around the world and visiting dozens of different countries, and I have seen what happens when ideas like these take hold. Maybe your family has been in this city for generations, or maybe, like my family, they came to this country centuries ago in chains. Or you might remember the on-stage celebratory fist bump between me and my husband after a primary win that was referred to as a terrorist fist jab. And over the years, folks have used plenty of interesting words to describe me. Make sure the folks who represent you share your values and aspirations. Lucretia Mott, Cesar Chavez, the folks at Stonewall, they were all angry, but those folks were also driven by compassion, by principle, by hope. This is historical material frozen in time. (Applause.) That is how you will do your part to live up to the oath that you all will take here today - the oath taken by generations of graduates before you to make your city and your world greater, better, and more beautiful.. (Applause.) I really dont want to follow those two.