Barack Obama
44th President of the United States
President Obama addresses the Morehouse College Class of 2013, opening with humor about the rainy weather and the school's traditions before invoking the college's history and its mission to cultivate honest, responsible men. He connects Morehouse's legacy—including that of alumnus Martin Luther King Jr. and president Benjamin Mays—to the progress and remaining challenges facing African Americans. He urges graduates to use their education and example for purposes larger than personal success, calling on them to accept both collective and individual responsibility for those left behind.
Key moments
- 01 Recalls Morehouse history and the mission articulated by Benjamin Mays
- 02 Describes Martin Luther King Jr.'s formative education at Morehouse and learning to be unafraid
- 03 Acknowledges progress for African Americans alongside persistent inequities in poor neighborhoods
- 04 Urges graduates toward purpose beyond wealth and to serve underserved communities, referencing the Affordable Care Act
- 05 Calls on graduates to take individual responsibility and inspire others
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