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№ 2013.029 — Yale University — Yale College Class Day address
Cory Booker
Mayor of Newark, New Jersey
Newark Mayor Cory Booker tells Yale's Class of 2013 that their worth will be measured by what they give, and that small acts of kindness matter more than glamorous achievements. He recounts a painful personal failure—being so absorbed in his work as mayor that he overlooked a young man he had mentored, who was murdered—as a lesson in attending to what is right in front of you. Booker urges graduates to persevere through shame and despair, redefines being 'first class' as a matter of character rather than status, and closes by affirming the graduates' strength, hope, and capacity for love.
Key moments
- 01 Story of a mentored youth's murder and Booker's resulting shame and grief
- 02 Defining real courage as the inner voice that says 'keep going' through despair
- 03 Humorous airplane anecdote redefining 'first class' as character, not status
- 04 Closing 'I see you' address invoking the national anthem's challenge to the graduates
Visual speech map
Cory Booker at Yale, 2013
A Class Day address about kindness, attention, grief, courage, character, service, and the strength to keep going.
- 01 Newark
- 02 Kindness
- 03 Mentor story
- 04 Grief
- 05 Keep going
- 06 First class
- 07 Character
- 08 Love
Measure
Worth is counted by what you give
Booker challenges the class to judge life by generosity and attention rather than prestige, speed, or glamorous accomplishment.
The address turns success outward: what matters is what graduates add to other lives.
Kindness is treated as concrete and daily, not as a decorative virtue.
Yale achievement becomes the starting point for obligation rather than proof of superiority.
Failure
A painful story makes attention urgent
Booker recounts overlooking a young man he had mentored who was later murdered, using grief and shame as a lesson in seeing what is near.
Absorption in big work can hide the person who needs attention close at hand.
The story refuses easy inspiration and lets remorse become moral instruction.
Service begins by returning attention to names, faces, and responsibilities immediately around us.
Courage
Keep going through shame and despair
The speech defines courage as the quiet voice that continues after failure, humiliation, exhaustion, and loss.
Real strength is not invulnerability; it is choosing the next faithful action after being hurt.
Hope appears as disciplined persistence rather than optimism detached from pain.
The inner command to continue becomes the bridge from private sorrow to public usefulness.
Character
First class is a matter of conduct
Booker uses humor and a travel anecdote to redefine being first class as how people treat others, especially when rank says otherwise.
Character shows in ordinary interactions where status could excuse indifference.
The closing address tells graduates they are seen, capable, and responsible for seeing others.
The final charge links national promise to compassion, resilience, and shared dignity.
Transcript
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Category: Politics