Led by NBA star LeBron James, the ceremony was a special event for the over 3 million high school graduates across the US.
Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas brothers, Pharrell Williams and Dua Lipa were some of the stars who shared messages to the graduating class.
Obama began his address by acknowledging the challenges each graduate has faced to get here.
“Along with the usual challenges of growing up, all of you have had to deal with the added pressures of social media, reports of school shootings, and the specter of climate change. And then, just as you’re about to celebrate having made it through, just as you’ve been looking forward to proms and senior nights, graduation ceremonies, and—let’s face it—a whole bunch of parties, the world has turned upside down by a global pandemic,” he said.
On a lighthearted note, Obama recalled his past graduation ceremony. “Now, I’ll be honest with you. The disappointments of missing a live graduation, those will pass pretty quick. I don’t remember much of my own high school graduation,” he said.
“I know that not having to sit there and listen to a commencement speaker isn’t all that bad. Mine usually go on way too long. Also, not that many people look great in those caps. Especially if you have big ears like me,” he said. “And you’ll have plenty of time to catch up with your friends once the immediate public health crisis is over.”
He went on to speak about how the pandemic will change the lives for the graduating class.
“You’re going to have to grow up faster than some generations,” Obama said. “This pandemic has shaken up the status quo and laid bare a lot of our country’s deep-seated problems. From massive economic inequality, to ongoing racial disparities, to a lack of basic healthcare for people who need it.
“It’s woken a lot of young people up to the fact that the old ways of doing things just don’t work. And it doesn’t matter how much money you make, if everyone around you is hungry and sick. And that our society and our democracy only work when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other.”
Obama spoke honestly about the country’s leaders and the opportunity that lies in front of young people.
“You know all those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing? Turns out they don’t have all the answers. A lot of them aren’t even asking the right questions,” he said.
“So, if the world’s gonna get better, it’s gonna be up to you. That realization may be kind of intimidating, but I hope it’s also inspiring.”
Ending the speech, Obama offered up three pieces of advice.
“No one does big things by themselves. Right now, when people are scared, it’s easy to be cynical and say, ‘Let me just look out for myself or my family or people who look or think or pray like me.’ But if we’re gonna get through these difficult times, if we’re gonna create a world where everybody has opportunities to find a job and afford college, if we’re gonna save the environment and defeat future pandemics, then we’re gonna have to do it together,” he said.
“So be alive to one another’s struggles. Stand up for one another’s rights. Leave behind all the old ways of thinking that divide us—sexism, racial prejudice, status, greed—and set the world on a different path.”
Watch the full speech below.
