Michelle Obama Oberlin College Commencement Speech 2015

Thank You Julia it is now my great honor and privilege to introduce the First Lady of the United States Michelle LaVon Robinson Obama mrs. Obama is a lawyer writer and the wife of the 44th and current President Barack Obama she's the first African American First Lady of the United States as first lady she has become a role model for women and for everyone as an advocate for poverty awareness higher education and healthy eating and living a product of Chicago Public Schools Michelle Robinson studied sociology studies sociology you have a few fans here today ah Michelle Robinson studied sociology in african-american studies at Princeton University after graduating from Harvard Law School she joined the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin she later met Barack Obama who would become the love of her life after a few years mrs. Obama decided her true calling was working with people to serve their communities and their neighbors she served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service in 96 she joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together as associate dean of student services she developed the university's first Community Service Program and under her leadership as vice president of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Medical School volunteerism skyrocket she has continued her efforts to support and inspire young people during his/her tenure as first lady in 2010 she launched Let's Move bringing together community leaders educators medical professionals and others including parents in a nationwide effort to address the challenge of childhood obesity in 2011 she and dr. Jill Biden came together to launch joining forces a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around servicemembers veterans and their families and support them through wellness education and employment opportunities in 2014 mrs. Obama launched the reach higher initiative an effort to inspire young people across this country to take charge of their future by completing their education past Highschool whether at a professional training program a community college or a four-year college or university in 2015 mrs. Obama joined the President to launch let girls learn an government-wide initiative to help girls around the world go to school and stay in school the common thread running through her career and her life is the steadfast belief that education hard work and service to one's community and country will improve the lives of individuals and will make our society better and stronger that is the same belief on which our college and conservatory and this city of Overland stand so please join me in welcoming to our Overland community a great inspirational leader first lady Michelle Obama [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] first lady Michelle Obama inspiring role model and advocate for poverty awareness access to higher education and healthy living lawyer civic leader in the name of Overland College I confer upon you the degree of Doctor of humanities with all the rights privileges and honors thereunto appertaining [Applause] it is now my great privilege and honor to ask the first lady Michelle Obama to address you class of 2015 hi how are you all doing are you sure well let me just tell you it is beyond a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today I want to start by thanking president krislov for that very kind introduction as well as all of the trustees the faculty the staff here at Oberlin I also want to tell you how proud and how moved I am to receive this honorary degree from this particular school the first college in America to officially embrace the admission of black students in the first co-ed school to grant bachelor's degrees to women [Applause] I should be here today Overland 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 I also want to take a moment on this Memorial Day to pay tribute to all of the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that we could sit here today at peace with rights and freedoms that others around the world can only dream of I'm so proud to honor these American heroes today and every day for their extraordinary service to our nation [Applause] and I'm also a little giddy to be joined on stage by another one of my heroes Marian Wright Edelman Oh her moral leadership on behalf of children in this country has inspired me throughout my career as well as my husband the President of the United States and graduates I think we should give another shout out to your families of course all the families these are the folks who pushed you and supported you they answered your late-night phone calls even when you were just calling for money so on behalf of your students I just want to show you all some love today as well thank you for creating these fabulous individuals well done and finally most of all I want to congratulate the Overland class of 2015 look at you you made it you're here you're looking good and I know you worked hard to make it to this moment didn't you stayed up late writing those papers studying for exams spent hours practicing and performing you went to countless happy hours and happy happy hours at the Fed I hear I'm going to try one of those burgers for lunch today that's all I'm going to have we're of course parents that's where they studied some more and on top of all of that you spent thousands of hours giving back to this community tutoring kids playing music for seniors serving food to folks in need and of course mentoring the local young people back there I see you all through the nine Scholars Program so proud of you all back there and that's as the president said why I'm here today as he mentioned my office did this wonderful competition to highlight colleges that are helping underserved people graduate from high school and then go on to higher education so by providing tutoring and AC t-- prep classes financial aid workshops and so much more your nine Scholars Program stood out as a shining example of how schools like Oberlin can lift first-generation students into college so I'm here today because I'm proud of you all I really am I'm inspired by your commitment to service and social justice and I'm impressed by the community that you all have created here a warm supportive inclusive community that embodies the values that define this school and even amidst the joy and excitement of graduation I know that you may be feeling some real sadness about leaving this community behind you may also be feeling some real anxiety about venturing out into the world beyond these walls and I'm not going to lie to you for many of you this is going to be a pretty big transition in fact I think dr. Martin Luther King described it well in his commencement addressed in 65 when he declared quote today you bid farewell to the safe security of the academic environment you prepare to continue your journey on the clamorous highways of life unquote and the truth is graduates after four years of thoughtful respectful discussion and debate here at Oberlin those seminars where you explored new ideas those late-night conversations where you challenged each other and learn from each other after all of that you might find yourself a little dismayed by the clamor outside these walls the name-calling the negative ads the folks yelling at each other on TV after being surrounded by people who are so dedicated to serving others and making the world a better place you might feel a little discouraged by the polarization and gridlock the two often characterize our politics and civic life and in the face of all that clamor you might have an overwhelming instinct to just run the other way as fast as you can you might be tempted to just recreate what you had here at Oberlin to find a community of like-minded folks and work with them on causes you care about and just tune out all of the noise and that's completely understandable in fact I sometimes have that instinct myself run but today graduates I want to urge you to do just the opposite today I want to suggest that if you truly wish to carry on the Oberlin legacy of service and social justice then you need to run to and not away from the noise today I want to urge you to actively seek out the most contentious polarized gridlocked places you can find because so often throughout our history those have been the places where progress really happens the places where minds are changed lives transformed where our great American story unfolds for example think back to the struggle for women's suffrage and the story of a leading suffragists in Oberlin alum named Lucy stone yeah people screamed at her they spat on her even through prayer books at her as she tried to speak her opponents declared letting women vote was quote-unquote unnatural what leads a child neglect in all kinds of social ills so I'd say that debate was pretty polarized wouldn't you and think about President Roosevelt struggled to pass the New Deal a few decades later FDR's plan for social security was called socialist a fraud on the working man one opponent even stated that it would quote in the progress of a great country unquote so that debate was pretty contentious too and in the years before dr. King addressed those Oberlin graduates in 65 he and his colleagues faced fire hoses and dogs in Montgomery beatings on a bridge in Selma insults and assaults as they sat quietly at lunch counters and marched peacefully down public streets and if you think today's gridlock is bad let me remind you that it was a good century between the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the passage of the civil rights legislation of the 1960s and of all the women at the Seneca Falls women's suffrage convention in 1848 just one lived to see women cast their votes just one but these folks didn't let the ugliness and the obstacles deter them they didn't just give up and retreat to the comfortable company of like-minded folks because they understood that this is how democracy operates it is loud and messy and it's not particularly warm and fuzzy and believe me I know this from personal experience over the years I've occasionally run into the noise myself but I've come to realize that most of that clamor is really coming from just a and full of very loud folks out on the fringes see the truth is that the overwhelming majority of people in this country are open-minded and big-hearted they are smart enough to see through that noise and they are so hungry for voices that rise above it smart compassionate thoughtful voices like yours now the process of democracy might not always be as fast or as smooth as we'd like but the fact is it works generation after generation this country has become more equal more inclusive more fair more free my life and so many of your lives are a testament of that truth but that has only happened because folks like all of you left their comfort zones and made their voices heard just look at the story of Oberlin College the founders of the school didn't just decide to admit women and African American students and then pat themselves on the back and say job well done no even in those early days folks here at Oberlin were attending anti-slavery meetings shivering on rough wooden benches and unheated unfinished buildings they were joining the equal suffrage League and speaking out for women's right to vote they were leading civil rights marches and sit-ins organizing exchange programs with historically black colleges and universities and so much more because they knew it wasn't enough to welcome women and African American to students to Oberlin if it would only graduate in four years to be second-class citizens in their own country they knew that our policies matter they knew that our laws matter and I know as president krislov understands that electing the right folks matters it matters a lot I don't know whether your present knows what I was going to say today but I know that he had some kind words for you all about this issue but it's no coincidence that we're both urging you to get involved in civic life because we both know that you cannot fully achieve your goals of service and social justice if you turn away from politics and public policy you see it's wonderful to volunteer at your local homeless shelter please do that but you also need to attend the City Council meetings and make sure the zoning laws don't shut that shelter down are you thinking of teaching in an underserved school if so I'm glad to hear that so many kids need you but you've also got to elect good people to your school board in state legislature because they decide whether you have the resources you need to inspire and empower your students are you planning the rally for marriage equality on the steps of the Supreme Court I certainly hope so but I also hope you will knock on doors and make some calls to elect a president who shares your values because that president will ultimately choose the justices who decide those cases in the first place and finally while peaceful protests 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 now will this be easy no of course not it will be hard it will be stressful and frustrating and you'll probably have to make some painful compromises along the way after all Lucy stones spent years speaking out for partial suffrage for allowing women to vote only on things like school issues and local issues because she realized that full suffrage was just too controversial an FDR well after facing all kinds of opposition he eventually agreed to a social security plan that covered only 60% of workers was he thrilled about that probably not but in the end FDR realized that 60% was a whole lot better than 0% now now did these compromises make these leaders sellouts traitors to their cause I don't think so instead I think they knew that if they could just get everyone to take that first step then folks would keep on moving in the right direction and they also understood that often the biggest most dramatic change happens incrementally little by little through compromises and adjustments over years and decades and I know that these days that can seem counterintuitive because we live in such an instantaneous age we want everything right away whether it's an uber or your favorite TV show and we want to tailor to our exact preferences and beliefs we fill our Twitter feed with voices that confirm rather than challenge our views if we didn't dislike someone's Facebook post we just unfollow them we unfriend them and even here at Overland most of the time you're probably surrounded by folks who share your beliefs but out in the real world who there are plenty of people who think very differently than you do and they hold their opinions just as passionately so if you want to change their minds if you want to work with them to move this country forward you can't just shut them out you have to persuade them and you have to compromise with them that is what so many of our heroes of history have done folks like Lucy stone and FDR they didn't get caught up in their egos or their ideology they didn't say it's my way or the highway instead they knew where they wanted to go and they were strategic and pragmatic about getting there because in the end they understood at the political scientist Joseph Nye once said that quote the absolutist may avoid the problem of dirty hands but often at the cost of having no hands at all unquote and graduates with a degree from this amazing school and all the status and connections that degree confers you don't get to have no hands no you don't get to be precious or cautious or cynical no not when the earth is warming and the oceans arising you don't get to be cynical not when too many young people still languish in communities ripped apart by violence and despair not when women still make less than men for the same work not when millions of girls across the globe never set foot inside a school now not when many young people just like you the men and women we this Memorial they have sacrificed their lives for your freedom to make your voice heard you don't get to have no hands you see in his speech to those Overland graduates 50 years ago dr. King urged them as Julia said not to sleep through the civil rights revolution that was raging across this country and graduates climate change economic inequality human rights criminal justice these are the revolutions of your time and you have as much responsibility and just as much power to wake up and play your part in our great American story because it is absolutely still possible to make a difference the great moments of our history are not decades in our past they're happening right now today in our lifetimes just think about the folks who are winning those battles state by state city by city to ensure that everyone in this country can marry the person they love think about how just 10 years ago gay marriage was legal in just one state in this country just one and today it is legal in 37 states and Washington DC [Music] think about those elections in 2008 in 2012 when idealistic young people like all of you worked long hours for little money and less sleep pounding the pavement for months talking to folks about what was at stake think about the millions of folks who got out to vote on Election Day waiting in the cold and rain and lines that stretched for hours refusing to leave until they made their voices heard and finally think about how even with all the gridlock and polarization in Washington we have made so much change these past six years 12 million new jobs 16 million people who finally have health insurance historic agreements to fight climate change epic increases in college financial aid more progress on LGBT rights than any time in our history and today it is no longer remarkable to see Butte two beautiful black girls walking their dogs on the South Lawn of the White House that's just the way things are now 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 and that's why in his remarks fifty 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 and I want to be very clear every city ordinance every ballot measure every law on the books in this country that is your concern what happens at every school board meeting every legislative session that is your concern every elected official who represents you from doggcatcher the President of the United States they are your concern so get out there and volunteer on campaigns and then hold the folks you elect accountable follow what's happening in your city hall your Statehouse in Washington DC better yet run for office yourself get in there shake things up don't be afraid and get out and vote in every election not just the big national ones that get all the attention but every single election make sure the folks who represent you share your values and aspirations see that is how you will rise above the noise and shape the rebel illusions of your time that is how you will have a meaningful journey on those clamorous highways of life and graduates that is how you will carry on the proud legacy of this great institution for generations to come so again I'm proud of you all I am confident in your ability to do amazing things and I'm honored to be here to share the beginning of the next phase of that journey with you we will be there with you every step of the way so go out there and make it happen thank you all I wish you the best of luck god bless [Applause]

Channel: Oberlin College & Conservatory

Views: 112,649

Rating: 4.6054792 out of 5

Keywords: Michelle Obama (Celebrity), Commencement Speech, Oberlin College (College/University), Oberlin (City/Town/Village), Oberlin Conservatory Of Music (College/University), usa, United States Of America (Country), School (Building Function), college, reach higher, commencement, graduation, flotus, first lady, class of 2015

Id: zNLU_FUEEP8

Length: 30min 18sec (1818 seconds)

Published: Wed May 27 2015