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In 2018 Chadwick Boseman returned to his alma mater to give an unforgettable speech

The Black Panther star left behind so many powerful memories.

Photo pulled from YouTube video

Chadwick Boseman delivers amazing commencement speech.

This article originally appeared on 05.14.18


Howard University alumnus Chadwick Boseman returned to the school to deliver its commencement address.

Speaking to Howard's class of 2018, Boseman channeled his inner T'Challa for an engaging, inspiring half hour filled with bits of wisdom for students and onlookers alike.

"When you have reached the Hilltop, and you are deciding on next steps, you would rather find purpose than a career," the 2000 graduate said, referencing the school's nickname. "Purpose is an essential element of you that crosses disciplines."

A lot of his speech for the school's 150th commencement ceremony was standard fare for a graduation, with inspiring quotes about the importance of failure and perseverance on the path to success.

It was the portion of the speech about activism, however, that served as the true highlight.

He spent several minutes thanking the students for challenging the institution.

In March 2018, students staged an occupation of the school's administration building, a protest that ultimately lasted nine days. It was incredibly successful — their work forced the school to revamp its sexual assault policy, to agree to more oversight on future tuition increases and the role of police on campus, to establish an on-campus food bank, and more."You could have been disgruntled and transferred, but you fought to be participants in making this institution the best that it can be," Boseman said.

Their demonstration illustrates why protests (and the right to protest) matter so much.

It's important not to forget who benefits from protest — not just the people demonstrating but everyone who comes after.

Members of the graduating class won't directly benefit from the concessions they won from administrators. But future generations of students will, and that makes it worthwhile. Protest is anything but selfish.

Graduating class, Howard University, growth and potential

The graduating class of Howard University enjoys the ceremony.

Image pulled from YouTube video

"Many of you will leave Howard and enter systems and institutions that have a history of discrimination and marginalization," said Boseman. "The fact that you have struggled with this university that you love is a sign that you can use your education to improve the world that you're entering."

His acknowledgement that people can love the person or institution they're protesting strikes at one of the most pervasive myths about activism: that if you protest something, it's because you hate it. People protest institutions because they believe in them, because they see potential for growth, and because they care enough to invest energy in it. This fact often gets lost in discussions around activism.

Naturally, Boseman closed his address with a nod to "Black Panther," doing the "Wakanda forever" salute while saying "Howard forever."

Watch Boseman's speech below.

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This 6-minute graduation speech from a student with autism is a must watch.

At Plano Senior High School's graduation, Sef Scott gave an honest and vulnerable speech.

Scott said that simply stepping on stage to address his classmates in Texas was a surprise. During his six-minute speech, he openly shared intimate details about his autism and social communication disorder.

"Just by being here speaking to all of you — me — that alone is unexpected," he said. "While I have the vocabulary that you do, and I have the ability to produce spoken words, it is not a normal feat for me to electively speak."

His address was full of wisdom, humor, and useful suggestions for embracing the "unexpected" in life.

But it was also a powerful reminder that it's OK to be yourself. And that message clearly resonated.

His classmates and those in attendance responded with powerful applause. And they aren't alone. The video of his speech gathered nearly 500,000 views in the first 48 hours since it appeared on Facebook.

Plano Senior High's Sef Scott's Graduation 2018 Speech: "Unexpected"

#Graduation2018 Happy to share this "unexpected" moment from Saturday's Plano Senior High graduation...certainly the most applauded speech of the day. Sef Scott, Class of 2018.

Posted by Plano Independent School District on Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Scott says he was inspired to give the speech because of his brother.

Scott told the audience that his brother is a brain tumor survivor who has given dozens of speeches to children's charities. It was his brother's own commitment to service that helped inspire him to stand in front of his classmates and open up about his life.

He said his brother and mom helped "line by line" in crafting his address, which also weaved in jokes and suggestions for simple kind acts that can change people's days, like letting a person go ahead of you in line. "That simple gesture could brighten what might have been a gloomy day," he said.

[rebelmouse-image 19397975 dam="1" original_size="993x597" caption="Image via Plano Senior High/Facebook." expand=1]Image via Plano Senior High/Facebook.

Scott's speech was a moment of sharing about himself to remind that everyone has their own story to tell.

He reminded his classmates that they all have unique experiences and that no one is any single label.

"In front me, I see athletes, musicians and scholars along with shy loners and class clowns," he said. "Many of you fit into more than one of those categories. At the same time, plenty of us have something that makes us all unique. What a wonderful mix."

Rainn Wilson gave a commencement speech to rich kids — and he got very real with them.

Rainn Wilson started his New Trier High School commencement speech poking lighthearted fun at the graduates’ wealth.

Pulling from the Chicago North Shore’s most affluent neighborhoods, New Trier is known as a public school for rich kids. Even their traditional graduation garb highlights the school’s demographic.

Rather than the traditional cap and gown, the 1,000 or so graduating seniors don white tuxedos and dresses adorned with a red rose. It’s quite a sight. Photo via Upsilon Andromedae/Flickr.

Wilson graduated from New Trier decades ago. Best known for his iconic role as Dwight K. Schrute in the "The Office," Wilson also co-founded SoulPancake, a digital media company that explores life’s big questions.

The actor's love of humor and humanity shine through in his commencement speech to New Trier’s 2018 graduates.

Wilson started off joking about the school’s mascot, the Trevian.

"For those of you who don’t know, a 'Trevian' is a person from Trier, Germany, who was given a BMW on their 16th birthday," Wilson said. (Cue laughter.) He also pointed out the irony of having the ceremony in the Sears Centre "considering probably not a single person in this room has ever set foot inside of a Sears." Again, laughter. These folks know themselves.

Then he got serious about what the students’ privilege means for them as they move into the world.  

"We’re a privileged bunch in many ways," Wilson said. "Most of us have come from money, have some money, most of us are white-skinned, and come from families where there’s been a tremendous amount of success. Most of us are going to get an amazing secondary education. And for most of us, the doors to the business world, or the art world, or political world, or science world will be wide open for us."

"This is not something I ever want you to feel bad about," he continued. "What privilege means is that we have an opportunity ... not to be entitled, not to be superior, but to acknowledge our privilege and do whatever we can to help those who don’t have it."

People sometimes mistake pointing out privilege with pushing guilt. As Wilson explained, advantages and abundance are simply opportunities "to make the world a better place."

"We have an opportunity to create jobs, nonprofits, to help fund arts organizations, help make science make tremendous strides forward, and to use our education for the greater good rather than merely seeking personal comfort and personal status," he said.

The standard mantra of "be a good person" is inadequate to conquer the challenges facing humanity, Wilson explained.

"The world is hurting from disunity and injustice, and we need to do more," Wilson said. "It is our privilege to be change agents in this world, to be of maximum love in this world, of maximum service, to make every school on this planet as great as the incredible New Trier High School."

And Wilson walks his talk.

He and his wife, Holiday Reinhorn, founded an educational initiative for girls in Haiti called Lidè. He also serves on the board of the global grassroots educational nonprofit, Mona Foundation.

Wilson capped off his thoughts on privilege with a quote from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, from which Wilson draws his inspiration to serve humanity:

"Be ye loving fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for the poor, and a cure for the ailing. Be ye the helpers of every victim of oppression, the patrons of the disadvantaged. Think ye at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race. Do some good to every person whose path you cross, and be of some benefit to him ... for love is light, no matter in what abode it dwelleth; and hate is darkness, no matter where it may make its nest."

Imagine what the world would look like if all of us took Wilson's advice to heart and used whatever privilege we have for good.

Watch Wilson's full speech here:

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Jimmy Fallon's moving message to Parkland graduates is a must-watch.

'You’re not the future. You’re the present.'

Jimmy Fallon addressed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's class of 2018, delivering a speech we should all hear.

The "Tonight Show" host made a surprise appearance at the Parkland, Florida, school's 2018 graduation ceremony, taking the stage to a round of enthusiastic applause. The usually apolitical talk-show host used a February monologue to express support and urge attendance at the March for Our Lives event organized by the school's students in response to a mass shooting that left 17 of their classmates and teachers dead. During his June 3 commencement address, he used humor to let the school and its students know how much he's inspired by their response to tragedy.

"Most commencement speakers get up and talk in future tense: 'You will succeed. You will make us proud. You will change the world,'" Fallon said. "But I’m not going to say that because you’re not the future. You’re the present."

"When something feels hard, remember that it gets better," Fallon said. "Choose to move forward. Don't let anything stop you."

It can be hard to find the silver lining in some of life's tragedies, and sometimes, you have to create your own change to find it. Fallon spoke specifically to how the students of Parkland have changed the world for all of us, finding light in the deepest darkness.

"Every bad experience can have something good that comes out of it. Sometimes things that seem like setbacks can take our lives in a totally new direction that can change our lives in ways we don't expect, and they make us better and stronger," he said. "You guys have already proved that to everyone. You took something horrific, and instead of letting it stop you, you started a movement — not just here in Florida, not just in America, but throughout the whole world. The whole world has heard your voice, and that was you making a choice."

Graduates of  Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School leave their graduation ceremony. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

"Don't think about what you want to do, think about why you want to do it, and the rest will figure itself out," Fallon said.

That's great advice, no matter who you are.

Watch Fallon's full address to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas class of 2018 below.

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