As many of you know, grad season has been heavily affected due to the current ongoing pandemic. Nonetheless, many public figures have been using their platforms to give uplifting words to the graduating class of 2020 as they continue to move on to the next phases within their lives.
One person who is offering multiple speeches to the graduating class is our Forever President Barack Obama, who headlined JP Morgan Chase’s “Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition,” as he spoke to all of the 2020 graduates from the historically black colleges and universities throughout the country.
During his speech, Obama touched on how the graduates have been doing an amazing job navigating through this pandemic as they continued to work and earn their degrees. He also touched on the type of “leadership” that is currently going on, systematic racism, the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, and much more.
Obama said, “You’re being asked to find your way in a world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and a terrible recession. The timing is not ideal. And let’s be honest — a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country.”
“We see it in the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning,” he continued.
Our Forever President even touched on the current leadership this country is dealing with during the pandemic and added, “More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
Check out Chase’s Show Me Your Walk: HBCU Edition, and check out Obama’s speech at the 1:46:50 mark:
As we previously reported, earlier this month Barack Obama and Michelle Obama announced the graduation celebrations they would be speaking at to honor the 2020 graduates. The “Show Me Your Walk: HBCU Edition,” is the first of the three events announced.
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
