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.
Injustice like this isn't new.
What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact
that the status quo needs fixing,
that the old ways of doing things don't wor
and then it doesn't matter how much
money you make if everyone
around you is hungry and sick,
that our society and our democracy
only works when we think
not just about ourselves
but about each other.
More than anything
this pandemic is 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 if the world
is going to get better it's gonna be up
to you with everything suddenly feeling
like it's up for grabs this is your time
to seize the initiative meaningful
change requires allies in common cause
as African Americans we are particularly
attuned to injustice inequality and
struggle but that also should make us
more alive to the experiences of others
who've been left out and discriminated
against so rather than just say what's
in it for me
or what's in it for my community and to
heck with everyone else stand up for and
join up with everyone who's struggling
whether it's immigrants refugees the
rural poor the LGBT community low-income
workers of every background
women who so often are subject to their
own discrimination and burdens and not
getting equal pay for equal work
look out for folks whether they are
white or black or Asian or Latino or
Native American as Fannie Lou Hamer once
said nobody's free until everybody's
free you're the folks we've been waiting
for to come along that's the power you
hold the power to shine brightly for
justice and for equality and for joy
you've earned your degree it's now up to
you to use it so many of us believe in
you I'm so proud of you and as you set
out to change the world
we'll be the wind at your back so
congratulations class of 2020 god bless
all of you
