Michelle Obama’s Class of 2020 Address Urges Honesty and Action

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Michelle Obama's Class of 2020 Address Urges Honesty and Action

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Despite coronavirus cancelling the strategies of graduates throughout the world, celebs and public figures collaborated on Sunday, June 7, for YouTube Original’s ‘Dear Class of 2020’ unique.

The prerecorded occasion included speeches by entertainers like BTS, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, and more. But it wasn’t just music stars who had something to state.

Former President Barack Obama and previous First Lady Michelle Obama likewise spoke, commemorating with the finishing class in real moms and dad mode. And Michelle likewise provided her own impassioned speech, one in which she provided herself not as a well-known political figure, however attending to graduates and the discontent in America “as a real live person, a mother, a mentor, a citizen concerned about your future and the future of our country.”

In the speech, Michelle talked to the racial oppression in America, how frustrating the present political environment can be and what youths can do to fight it.

“Over these past couple of months our foundation has been shaken,” the previous FLOTUS stated. “Not just by a pandemic that stole too many of our loved ones, upended our daily lives, and sent tens of millions into unemployment, but also by the rumbling of the age-old fault lines that our country was built on: the lines of race and power that are now, once again, so nakedly exposed for all of us to grapple with.”

She continued: “So, if any of you are scared, or confused, or angry, or just plain overwhelmed by it all, if you feel like you’re searching for a lifeline just to steady yourself, you are not alone. I am feeling all of that, too. I think we all are. So, I want you to know that it’s okay to be confused. It’s okay if you don’t understand exactly what you’re feeling.”

Speaking to discrimination in America, following across the country demonstrations after the death of George Floyd, Michelle did not mince her words. “What’s happening right now is the direct result of decades of unaddressed prejudice and inequality,” she stated.

“Because for too many people in this country, no matter how hard they work,” she continued. “There are structural barriers working against them that just make the road longer and rockier. And sometimes it’s almost impossible to move upward at all.”

She then provided different circumstances of oppression, consisting of the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery.

“If you don’t feel safe driving your own car in your own neighborhood, or going for a jog, or buying some candy at 7/11, or bird-watching—if you can’t even approach the police without fearing for your life—well, how do you begin to chart your own course?” she asked. “And as so often is the case, these questions compound upon themselves. See, if you’re struggling already just to keep your head above water, if you’re living in a constant state of fear, how much further behind will you be after months in quarantine and without a job?”

While Michelle confesses that she does not have all the responses to America’s issues, she does ask young graduates to preserve a sense of hopefulness. “What we finally do have is focus—we see what’s happening in stark relief; we see how these inequalities are playing out on our streets,” she stated. “And it’s not just the communities most affected by these challenges that see it now—it’s folks all across the country who for too long have had the luxury and privilege of looking away.”

The previous First Lady then recommended a series of comprehensive points of truth, and some suggestions to handle it. Her firstly point? Life will constantly doubt.

“I hope that what you’re going through right now can be your wake-up call,” she stated. “That it pushes you not just to think about what kind of career you want to build, but what kind of person you want to be.”

“And that leads me to my second lesson,” she continued. “In an uncertain world, time-tested values like honesty and integrity, empathy and compassion — that’s the only real currency in life. Treating people right will never, ever fail you.”

Michelle asserted that cutting corners and making the most of others will never ever settle in the long run. “Make a decision to use your privilege and your voice for the things that really matter,” Michelle stated. “Which is my third lesson today—to share that voice with the rest of the world.”

She continued: “For those of you who feel invisible: Please know that your story matters. Your ideas matter. Your experiences matter. Your vision for what our world can and should be matters. So, don’t ever, ever let anyone tell you that you’re too angry, or that you “need to keep your mouth shut.”

And Michelle’s last lesson was basic: couple every demonstration with strategies and policies, arranging, activating and voting.

“Graduates, anger is an effective force,” she said. “It can be a useful force. But left by itself, it will just wear away, and damage, and plant turmoil on the within and out. But when anger is focused, when it’s carried into something more, that is the things that alters history.”

In her joint speech with previous President Barack Obama, her partner imparted some words of knowledge to brand-new graduates, advising them that their difficult effort was not a waste in an unpleasant world.

“Today is the culmination of a long journey,” the previous POTUS stated. “Think back to when you were starting your first year. You were probably just hoping by graduation day, you’d met some new people, learned some new skills and got yourself ready for the first step, maybe college, maybe grad school, maybe your first job. You accomplished all that. And just as you were rounding the final turn, the world through a pandemic your way.”

Michelle included, “And these past few months, you had to reach even higher, you weren’t just adjusting to a virtual classroom, you were helping your teachers adjust their audio so the rest of the class could hear. You weren’t just taking your finals online, you were making sure your siblings had enough time on the computer too to finish their work. And you weren’t just hanging out with your friends in your group chat, you were supporting them through all of this uncertainty and loss.”

“That’s a lot to ask of anybody, and in spite of it all, you did it all,” Barack continued. “We want you to know that the investment in your education is one of the best investments you’ll ever make.”