Obama exhorts good deeds by Morehouse graduates

May 19, 2013 @ 1:24 pm


President Barack Obama receives an honorary degree from Robert Davidson, Chair of the Board of Trustees, partially visible, during the Morehouse College 129th Commencement ceremony, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Morehouse is the historically black, all-male institution that counts Martin Luther King Jr. among its alumni. It is Obama's second graduation speech of the year. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) | Zoom

ATLANTA (AP) - President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse College to seize the power of their example as black men graduating from college and use it to improve people's lives.

The president said his success was due to "the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who need it most, people who didn't have the opportunities that I had _ because there but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me."

Noting the Atlanta school's mission to cultivate, not just educate, good men, Obama said graduates should not be so eager to join the chase for wealth and material things, but instead should remember where they came from and not "take your degree and get a fancy job and nice house and nice car and never look back."

"So yes, go get that law degree. But if you do, ask yourself if the only option is to defend the rich and powerful, or if you can also find time to defend the powerless," Obama said. "Sure, go get your MBA, or start that business, we need black businesses out there. But ask yourself what broader purpose your business might serve, in putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood."

"The most successful CEOs I know didn't start out intent on making money. Rather, they had a vision of how their product or service would change things, and the money followed," he said.

For those headed to medical school, Obama said, "Make sure you heal folks in underserved communities who really need it, too."

Before Obama arrived in Atlanta, thunderstorms drenched hundreds of people who gathered on the campus lawn for the outdoor ceremony, forcing many guests to wear clear plastic ponchos over what amounted to their Sunday-best clothes. Rain began falling again, accompanied by more thunder and lightning, minutes after Obama began to speak.

"I also have to say you all are going to get wet," he said. "I would be out there with you if I could. But Secret Service gets nervous, so I'm going to have to stay here, dry. But know that I'm with you in spirit."

Obama urged graduates to "inspire those who look up to you to expect more of themselves."

Obama used the speech to once again share his personal story of growing up without a father, confessing that along the way he made unspecified bad personal choices "like too many men in our community."

"Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down," he said. "I had a tendency to make excuses for me not doing the right thing. But one of the things that all of you have learned over the last four years is, there's no longer any room for excuses."

Speaking in personal terms as he often does when addressing predominantly black audiences, particularly of black males, the nation's first black president also spoke intimately of his desire to be a better father to daughters Malia and Sasha than his absent father was to him, and to be a better husband to his wife, Michelle.

He told the graduates to pay attention to their families, saying success in every other aspect of life means nothing without success at home.

"I was raised by a heroic single mother and wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me. And I know there are moms and grandparents here today who did the same thing for all of you," he said. "But I still wish I had a father who was not only present, but involved. And so my whole life, I've tried to be for Michelle and my girls what my father wasn't for my mother and me. I've tried to be a better husband, a better father, and a better man.

"It's hard work that demands your constant attention, and frequent sacrifice. And Michelle will be the first to tell you that I'm not perfect," he continued. "Even now, I'm still learning how to be the best husband and father I can be. Because success in everything else is unfulfilling if we fail at family.

"I know that when I'm on my deathbed someday, I won't be thinking about any particular legislation I passed, or policy I promoted. I won't be thinking about the speech I gave, or the Nobel Prize I received," said Obama, 51. "I'll be thinking about a walk I took with my daughters, a lazy afternoon with my wife, whether I did right by all of them."

The speech was Obama's second commencement address of the season, following remarks last Sunday at Ohio State University in Columbus. His third and final graduation address will come Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

About 500 students received undergraduate degrees on Sunday and became "Morehouse Men."

After the speech, Obama joined about 100 people at a fundraiser at the office of the foundation of Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. It was the first of six money events that officials say he will headline for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is recruiting candidates and strategizing to keep control of the Senate in next year's midterm elections. Democrats will be defending more Senate seats than Republicans, including six held by long-serving Democratic senators who have decided not to seek re-election.

After briefly discussing the economy, early childhood education, energy independence, climate change and infrastructure, Obama said "the good news is we've got good, common-sense solutions that we can implement right now," on those issues. "The bad news is there's a shortage of common sense in Washington."

He told the donors, who paid anywhere from $10,000 per couple to $32,400 per couple to attend the fundraiser, that their support is important because it will help elect more non-ideological senators like Michael Bennet, D-Colo., "who don't come at this thinking there's just one way of doing things." Bennet chairs the campaign arm for Senate Democrats and introduced Obama at the event.

"That kind of approach, if we get a critical mass in the Senate, and we can potentially get a critical mass of folks like that in the House, means that the sky's the limit," Obama said. "Nothing can stop us."

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap


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Comments (182)


  • Add A Comment

  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    'What
    October 20, 2012 4:41 am
    recovery?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    The Recovery that's occurring in the US economy?
    October 29, 2012 12:06 pm
    Got to love the right, they ignore everything positive and view only negative things... If Obama single-handedly cured cancer they would criticize him for not thinking of the impact it would have on pharmaceutical companies that make billions searching for the cure... If he achieved world piece they would attack him for all the wasteful spending on the military leading up to world peace... If he drove unemployment down to 4% they would say, yeh but look at the 4% who are struggling in this terrible economy... There is nothing the Republican party won't do to try and paint Obama as a terrible person and leader. Unemployment dropped below 8% last month... 5 million jobs have been created since early-mid 2010, The stock Market S&P and NASDAQ are all double what they were when he took office... housing market is starting to trend back upward... None of these things are positive signs to Republicans, instead it's a worsening economy... the trend is upward, but not in the eyes of a repub, it's all down... They bury their heads in the sand and ignore facts... Republicans are a joke, once this election is over and Obama is re-elected, i will be here to laugh at all of them, but i have a feeling, they will all dissapear until next election cycle when they can try to spin their lies again.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    @cbrew
    January 5, 2013 9:07 am
    How about the 16 trillion in negative debt mostly spent by the Obama administration...is that the negative things the right are saying that you are referring to? Your stupid.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @SickofSeattleite
    January 19, 2013 6:51 am
    Wanna bet something? That if it were a Republican President, we would have ended up in a nearly identical spending problem? That we'd be hearing constant praise for the recovery that we do actually have going (very slow recovery, but still moving in the right direction)? Yup. you can guarantee that would be what you and others would be doing if Obama were just a Republican...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    @formerMarineSgt
    February 6, 2013 5:24 am
    I don't support Republican's either, I support Americans!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Obama is a LIAR and a FRAUD
    April 1, 2013 10:58 pm
    “Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen." Now add this, "Many of those who refuse or are unable to prove they are citizens will receive free insurance paid for by those who are forced to buy insurance because they are citizens.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    I have four words for this 'recovery' :
    October 20, 2012 5:38 am
    "DAY LATE"

    "DOLLAR SHORT"

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    I have two words for the Republican Party that nearly destroyed this country with it's last President
    October 29, 2012 12:08 pm
    NEVER AGAIN!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chrisfrommv wrote...
    After 5 years
    April 3, 2013 9:43 pm
    Still blaming Bush! A stout stock market is not, I repeat NOT, an indication of a good economy. The GDP remains low, we are printing money nearly at a trillion a year to flood the market while keeping interest rates artifically low. Enemployement is still around 7.7% and much higher if you look at all the people underemployed and not collecting unemployment or looking for work. what happens when we take away our crutch? (QE3).
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sohojo wrote...
    Wait until
    April 27, 2013 6:10 pm
    The affordable care act kicks in January of 2014. This will pinch American's (consumers) even more than they are today. I think you will see negative growth and higher unemployment in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2014.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Obama project "Leadership?"
    October 29, 2012 12:29 pm
    Kinda late now. Don't you think?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    Leadership? Romney would try to outsource it
    October 29, 2012 12:46 pm
    Obama has lead this nation through the worst recession in our history.. he's done so with a combative congress that has refused to help try to fix the great problems that have faced this Nation... Republicans have spit in the face of America while she tries to recover... I will never forget what this party did these last 4 years... Until the Republican party purges itself of the anti-American strategies... I will never vote for another Republican again.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Obama has lead this nation through the worst recession in our history.. he's done so with a combative congress
    October 29, 2012 1:26 pm
    Wow! Such a mindless Left wing Parrot you are!

    "Combative Congress"? Combative toward whom? The Conservative controlled house sent 13 jobs bills to the Liberal controlled Senate and Harry Reid. They would be "Dead on arrival" promised Reed and they all were. And how about your Dear Leader, cbrew, who promised to kill any Conservative bill that made it to his desk?

    NO! You Parrots Dear Leader and the Liberals have produced this ObamaEconomy that has done so much damage in four years that it will take generations to pay back. In money and American pride and respect in this world. And we Americans will not forget about ObamaCare and ObamaGate between now and November 6th.

    How is that icy stabbing chill in the pit of your stomach Parrots?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    It's me! Ha ha! all i can say is, you're dillusional
    October 29, 2012 3:07 pm
    When the Republican held Congress stated unequivocally that they would not work in a bi-partisan way to pass legislation then writes completely partisan bills and sends them to the senate what do you expect to happen? You're blaming Obama for the same thing your Republicans in congress are doing. Aside from that you're being a complete idiot and a revisionist on history, The Recession began under BUSH whether you like to admit it or not, his administration ran the economy off the cliff and Obama has been trying to climb back up it since. No matter what you want to say about that it's the truth. Your leaders in congress said immediately following the election that their sole purpose was to ensure Obama was a 1 term president, They didn't say, our goal is to fix the economy, our goal is to restore America to prosperity, NOPE it was your party that said we're going to fight tooth and nail on every single issue and refuse to help the American people. Your party is has been dang near treasonous in it's operations over the last 4 years. If this was a different era, your party would have it's members hanging from lamp posts all the way to DC. Because you've been ANTI-AMERICAN for 4 years, Forcing the economy to stall during a recession JUST so you can try to regain power during this Country's worst recession. Finally, i have no such chill, The Swing states are all still in Obama's favor, November 6th i will be here laughing at you, you and your incompetent party and all you morons that have hurt this country for 4 years.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    10-29-12 0bama aims to project leadership...
    October 29, 2012 2:26 pm
    If the Zedster is successful in this pretense it will be a first for his sorry self.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    hnuh - yeh because he hasn't shown leadership right?
    October 29, 2012 3:21 pm
    He didn't lead us out of Iraq, didn't make the call to send our boys into Pakistan to take out Bin Laden with the Sec of Defense argued against it... He didn't pass the most sweeping reform to Health Care in a generation... nope no leadership... hey moron, maybe take a step back and look up the definition of leadership, because the party you support is the opposite of that term, they hide behind their desks in Congress refusing to take responsibility for their failings to try and work to restore the economy, they're on talk shows talkin trash about an economy they refuse to lift a finger to help, that's not leadership that's cowardice and that's what Republicans are, COWARDS. They have spent 4 years trying to get 1 President out of power, that's it, not trying to solve the Country's biggest problems, in fact, they tried to run this economy off a cliff again by refusing to pass any kind of jobs bills.. they are the worst of our country, republicans should be kicked out of this country for their treasonous actions over the last 4 years... they've done more harm to America than Al Quaida ever could.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    When the Republican held Congress stated unequivocally that they would not work in a bi-partisan way to pass legislation then writes completely partisan bills and sends them to the senate what do you expect to happen?
    October 29, 2012 3:25 pm
    Sees e! You are a Parrot cbrew. What I posted was the truth. We Americans removed Liberals from the house (and I wish we could have taken the Senate. We will next week!) Those were the quotes I heard Reid make that pledge with my own ears before the first bill got there. The Libs will use any excuse to justify themselves to you useful idiot Parrots simply for your votes!

    Cbrew how is that ObamaEconomy today? How is ObamaGate damaging to the Dear Leader with each passing day, hour? Where is that Obama "Bounce" in the polls? Face it, even with the over sample of likely useful idiot voters, Romney is beating your Dear Leader. Obama will lose!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    Oy!! Cbrew...
    October 30, 2012 12:48 pm
    No he did not lead us out of Iraq. He followed Bush's lead. No he did not "make the call" to smoke Bin Ladin. He just didn't refuse it. 0bama was supposed to be one thing and he has proven to be quite another. Vaclev(sp) Havel said of the Zed(null set)ster... I think he craps his pants too fast... referencing a negotiation 0bama bungled near the beginning of his misbegotten term. The guy is an unserious president for an unserious public. If re-elected it will be proof the public couldn't care less how incompetent, corrupt and destructive a president can be. You call me a moron, I retort with a much greater insult: You are a leftist, what is commonly called a liberal. Put that smelly old wino puke stained coat on and wear it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    @hnuh,,,
    January 19, 2013 6:52 am
    And you call Cbew delusional.....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Day two - Lets go for the guns now that Im re-elected
    November 8, 2012 3:39 pm
    Didnt take him long did it

    http://www.examiner.com/article/the-day-after-u-n-moves-quickly-on-global-gun-control-debate

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Old posts
    November 8, 2012 6:59 pm
    Go away its me, you are history for four years, 8 years if Hillary runs in 2016. I don't think you will live that long, given the stress of being the stupidest poster of all time.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The wealthy should pay more in taxes?
    November 10, 2012 3:14 am
    Hey Dear Leader Obama, how about that Massive middle class tax increase to pay for ObamaCare?

    Mr. Romney was right about the 47 percenters who do not pay taxes.

    Right Parrots!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }