Good morning, Bulldogs! How's everybody feeling?
I don't think there's anybody out there. Let's try that again. How's everybody feeling?
That's more like it. It's great to be at South Carolina State! And I'm not just saying that because my sister-in-law is a graduate. This is a good-looking crowd.
Now, I know that I am standing between you and your diplomas, among other things. And I'm a former general, so I know when I'm outnumbered. So I'm going to try to keep this pretty brief. Because I believe that a good commencement speaker should be tall—but a good commencement speech should be short.
Congressman Clyburn, thanks for that generous introduction. It is an honor to be here with you. You've been a personal inspiration and a true friend. And you are a paragon of leadership. You've always fought to make America's promise real for every citizen. And that's why, just last week, President Biden awarded you America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Congressman, you met your late wife, Ms. Emily, right here in Orangeburg. And you both gave so much to this university. Today, the Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College carries on her legacy. And the James E. Clyburn University Transportation Center will prepare students for great careers that will keep America moving forward.
So Congressman, thanks for everything that you and Ms. Emily have done for South Carolina State and for our democracy.
President Conyers, thanks for leading your alma mater so well. And thanks for all that you've given to the Department of Defense, including your 28 years of service in the U.S. Army. Trustees, distinguished faculty, and dedicated staff—thanks for doing so much for South Carolina State.
I also want to give a special welcome to the parents, grandparents, and family members out there. You're all shining with pride today. This day is only possible because of your love, your support, and your tuition checks.
So graduates—please find your families, get on your feet, and give them the round of applause that they deserve.
Also: you all know that Sunday is Mother's Day, right? Everybody—on your feet. Let's hear it for the moms and grandmas who are here today!
And that brings me to you—the Class of 2024! Let's make some noise!
Graduates, we are here to celebrate you and your achievements. Your class had an especially challenging road to graduation day. In 2020, as the pandemic erupted, your freshman class was less than half the normal size. It was unprecedented, and it was hard. But you dug deep. You stuck by each other. And you made it to today.
Now, many of you are the first in your family to graduate from college. That's a phenomenal achievement. Many of you have balanced school with work, with raising a family, and with giving back to this community. You can call it grit. You can call it hustle. But around here, we call it Bulldog Tenacity!
Class of 2024, you have worked incredibly hard to get here. We are very proud of you. And you should be proud of yourselves.
Now, I've got to give a special shout-out to the South Carolina State Army ROTC program. The legendary Bulldog Battalion! Over more than 75 years, this ROTC program has produced more than 2,000 U.S. military officers. In 1972, South Carolina State became one of the first HBCUs to enroll female Army ROTC cadets. And all six of those women became colonels.
This university has launched the careers of more than 20 generals and admirals. We may have some future generals with us today. So let's congratulate the newest Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army!
Now, I promised to keep it brief. So I'm going to share just three things with you and then let you get back to celebrating.
First, as the old guy, I'll explain what I've learned about the power of education. Second, I'll say a word about the importance of giving back. And finally, I'll leave you with what Congressman Clyburn has called a "Message of Expectations."
So, number one: education gives you the power to make change, even when it's hard, and to help America live up to its full promise.
I've lived that. You know, I grew up in Georgia in the time of Jim Crow. Our local public high school had long been whites-only. And when I was a teenager, I became one of the first Black students to integrate it.
Those were hard days. Painful days. Ugly days. But I am still moved by the memory of every person who fought to make sure that I could get a good public education—the teachers, the officials, and the neighbors. I still remember their determination and their decency. And I still carry forward their lesson, which is that living up to this country's founding values means bringing everyone along, leaving no one out, and drawing on the full talents of all of the American people. And I am honored to stand here with you today as America's first Black Secretary of Defense.
Now, I doubt that the people trying to keep me out of that school imagined that they were blocking the education of a future four-star general and cabinet official. But you never know which kid is going to grow up to be Bob Johnson or Oprah or Chadwick Boseman or Stacey Abrams or Barack Obama or Kamala Harris. You never know what we lose when we leave someone out. We don't have one American to spare. We don't have one citizen to squander. And that means that we need to keep working together to knock down barriers, to level the playing field, and to let everybody compete to win.
You know, I saw that in action at West Point. As a cadet, I was thrown in with people from all walks of life. I was a Southern kid far from home. But my teachers taught me more than math or military strategy. They believed in us. And I was lucky to have educators—including some very special Black mentors—who showed us all how to become a team, and to turn our differences into strength, and to turn hard work into results. And they showed us that leadership isn't just about what you do. It's about who you are.
So here's my second message. Your education at South Carolina State has already changed your lives. And it'll keep making new things possible. It has already shaped your character and equipped you to excel. And that won't stop.
For nearly 130 years, South Carolina State has produced the skilled leaders that our country needs, in agriculture, education, engineering, and much more. South Carolina State trains more Black nuclear engineers than any school in the country. And the National Security Agency has designated South Carolina State as a center of academic excellence in cyber defense. This university educates its graduates for the jobs of the future. And it has prepared you for the challenges ahead. I know that you've heard President Conyers say, "You can get there from here!"
And that has always been the story of America's HBCUs. Generation after generation, they teach excellence, and they kick open the doors of opportunity. As President Biden has noted, HBCUs help produce 40 percent of America's Black engineers, 50 percent of Black lawyers, 70 percent of Black doctors and dentists, and 80 percent of Black judges.
And I can't put it better than retired U.S. Army Major General Abe Turner, a member of the Class of 1976 whom I've proudly served with. HBCUs, he says, provide "an opportunity to do goodness, and to prosper, and to provide a service to the nation that otherwise might have been missed by larger universities."
Class of 2024, we need your "service to the nation." So find ways to make change. To contribute. And to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
You know, I had a brief, 41-year career in the U.S. Army. And we definitely need some of you to stand up, and salute, and defend the United States in uniform. But we also need all of you to give back in your own ways. You can do that as a teacher. As a doctor. As a firefighter. Or by joining the PTA. By building a great business in your community. By serving as an usher in your church. By leading a Girl Scout troop. By running for city council. Or by registering people to vote. You'll find your own path. But in times like these, civic engagement is not optional.
And that brings me to my third and final message for you. It's what Congressman Clyburn calls "a Message of Expectations."
You know, the Congressman also grew up in the segregated South. He always had big dreams. But one day, a well-meaning neighbor warned young James to keep his high ambitions to himself. So his mother called him to the kitchen table. She looked him in the eye. And she told him, "Don't pay any attention to what that lady said."
His mother said that she and his father expected—and insisted—that James and his brothers would push themselves to achieve more than their parents. That was her Message of Expectations. And Class of 2024, that message is yours as well. It won't always be easy. But we need you out there. So you've got to keep putting in the work. To keep doing the reps and sets.
You know, my friend and mentor, the late Colin Powell, addressed the graduates of South Carolina State back in 2011. And he said, "No matter what your past is, no one owes you a thing. You have to perform to get ahead."
And you've already proven that you're going to perform. Class of 2024, you were tested. You overcame. And you made it here today. So you've shown, in the words of your school song, that you are "Ready all to do and dare!" And that's the spirit of South Carolina State.
Now, you're graduating in challenging times. Divided times. But so many things still bring us together as Americans. Our Constitution. Our democracy. The rule of law. The new Beyoncé album.
Ladies and gentlemen, we don't get to choose our times. But we do get to shape our times. And in a democracy, that is a responsibility for every citizen. And for every member of this graduating class.
You know, in May 1964, the great playwright Lorraine Hansberry, the author of "A Raisin in the Sun," spoke to a group of talented young Black Americans. And she said, "The nation needs your gifts!"
Class of 2024: the nation needs your gifts! The nation needs your resilience. And the nation needs your service. So congratulations, Class of 2024! Let's hear it for the Bulldog Nation!
May God bless you. May God bless our troops. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.