President Barack Obama gave the 129th commencement address speech on a wet and rainy Sunday afternoon, May 19th, at Morehouse College.
Obama began his remarks to an excited yet wet crowd,most of whom had been seated as early as 6 am. at approximately 11:30 am.
The sky opened just before the speech began, and the crowd was treated to a steady downpour throughout. Obama quipped that, “I would be out there with you, but the Secret Service gets nervous.”
Obama was greeted with a big cheer when he emerged from a building adjacent to the stage with Morehouse College president John Silvanus Wilson, a former White House aide.
The invocation was given by Rev. Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous church.
Valedictorian Betsegaw Tadele gave a rousing speech, including the line “There is no unachievable if you have the audacity of hope,” a reference to Obama's book. The president shook Tadele’s hand after the speech.
Obama spoke about racial issues and his own experience, and of Morehouse’s history from a school of freed slaves that once educated Martin Luther King Jr. – whom Obama said was known as “tweed” for his suits and was not the coolest kid in class.
Some of the biggest cheers came when Obama singled out certain graduates, one who came up through the foster care system and now is off to Harvard law, another who is a father of three.
Wilson gave Obama an honorary “doctorate of laws” degree.
After leaving Morehouse, Obama went to a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraiser being held at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
The event will host approximately 100 people. Tickets were ranged from $10,000 to $32,400 per couple.
Air Force One landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport at 10:13am, slightly behind schedule. Obama emerged from the plane with Rep. Hank Johnson, who represents an Atlanta-area district, and Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., who is a Morehouse grad.
Soon the motorcade made its way down the highway and into the historic West End and onto the Morehouse campus. He was greeted by a huge cheer when cameras caught a glimpse of the President walking to the stage.
Readers posted instagram photos and tweets onto our Live Blog throughout the commencement ceremony.
Sample Tweets:
Okay, I’m already crying… the roar of the crowd when he came out… #ObamaPride#Morehouse
@LiberalPhenom: This is so beautiful. Our brilliant POTUS to stand before these gifted young black men. #morehouse
Obama begins speech at #Morehouse commencement. Says it’s "one of the greatest experiences of my life"
Watching POTUS speak at #Morehouse. Has crowd roaring. The man can kill terrorists and tell a good joke. Not bad.
My President @BarackObama is the coolest man in life! This #Morehouse commencement speech is dope! #44 @Ouch_Chawlay
This is the #POTUS I know and LOVE #Morehouse
According to Morehouse, this was the very first time a "sitting President has given a May commencement address in Georgia, and the first time in three-quarters of a century that one has delivered any commencement speech in Georgia."
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See Also:
Countdown to President Obama's Morehouse College Visit and Address