On Saturday (May 7), President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address at Howard University’s 2016 graduation ceremony. As a man that’s well connected to today’s culture, Obama took the time to acknowledge the achievements of African-Americans in music, television, sports and so forth. During his 45-minute speech, he referenced various pop culture icons as a way to inspire Howard graduates. “A lot of folks didn’t even think Blacks had the tools to be a quarterback,” he says. “Today, former Bull Michael Jordan isn’t just the greatest basketball player of all time, he owns the team. When I was graduating, the main Black hero on TV was Mr. T. Rap and Hip Hop were counter-culture, underground. Now Shonda Rhimes owns Thursday night and Beyonce runs the world.” Obama also points out music’s impact on Black people and how it has encourages many to become much more than an artist. “We’re producers, studio executives. “We’re no longer small-business owners, we’re CEOs. We’re mayors, representatives.” Watch Obama’s commencement speech above. Photo credit: TheGuardian.com
