Former first lady Michelle and ex-US President Barack Obama addressed the Class of 2020 in a YouTube live stream on Sunday. On YouTube Originals, the Obamas spoke to students across the world whose academics have been suspended by the coronavirus pandemic. They congratulated the students and thereafter Michelle Obama said the current situation "that stole too many of our loved ones upended our daily lives and sent tens of millions into unemployment." The Obamas addressed the recent death of 46-year-old George Floyd which erupted 'Black Lives Matter' protests and its effort to fight police brutality and racial injustice across the United States. Michelle Obama said that it has caused "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." The speech of Obamas has gone viral with people sharing some of Michelle Obama's powerful quotes from it. Michelle Obama 56th Birthday: Interesting Facts About Former US First Lady That You May Not Have Known!
On May 29, Michelle Obama had tweeted a thread of messages about the ongoing racism in America, stating, I'm exhausted by a heartbreak that never seems to stop." Here, we bring to you some of the most-heart touching thoughts by Michelle Obama which has stirred the spirit of many. She spoke about life, society, honesty, empathy, compassion and to treat people in the right way. The former first lady spoke about the power of anger and the need to channel it in the right direction. Here are some of the powerful quotes by Michelle Obama from 'Michelle Obama's 2020 Commencement Address'.
"Life will always be uncertain. It is a lesson that most of us get the chance to learn over the course of years and years, even decades, but one you're learning right now."
"Treating people right will never, ever fail you."
"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 fail you."
"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."
"Share your voice with the rest of the world."
"So, what does that mean for your time? It starts where change always starts: in your own home ... Sometimes it's easier to stand with strangers at a protest than it is to challenge someone in your own backyard. So, if you hear people expressing bigoted views or talking down to 'those people,' it is up to you to call them out. We won't solve anything if we're only willing to do what's easiest."
"Anger is a powerful force. It can be a useful force. But left on its own, it will only corrode and destroy and sow chaos on the inside and out. When anger is focused, when it's channelled into something more, that is the stuff that changes history."
"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 'should keep your mouth shut."
Former US President Barck Obama & Michelle Obama Address The Class of 2020:
Barack Obama also delivered a commencement address on Sunday night in which he urged graduates to bring a change. Obama highlighted that the US is a nation founded on protests, saying peaceful ones are "patriotic" and that those participating in them are "unbelievably inspiring" and make him "optimistic about our future." He noted that recent protests in response to the killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, "speak to decades worth of anguish and frustration over unequal treatment and a failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system."
The Reach Higher Initiative hosted the first hour of the Youtube special including commencement address from Beyoncé. K-Pop group BTS also addressed the Class of 2020, along with Lady Gaga, Barack Obama, and Malala Yousafzai. The YouTube special also featured music performances by Lizzo and the New York Philharmonic, Chloe x Halle, Finneas, Katy Perry, and performance of 'Still I Rise' featuring Madison Calley, Misty Copeland, Naya Lovell, Janelle Monáe, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelly Rowland, and Yara Shahidi.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2020 11:28 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).