Barack Obama Talks COVID-19, Ahmaud Arbery & More In HBCU Commencement Address

BYCole Blake1.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Streeter Lecka / Getty Images
Barack Obama, HBCU, Commencement
Barack Obama spoke about the COVID-19 outbreak, Ahmaud Arbery, and more during his virtual commencement address, Saturday.
Former President Barack Obama gave a virtual commencement address to students attending historically black colleges and universities across the country, Saturday, for the "Show Me Your Walk" virtual commencement.
Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
Obama spoke about the COVID-19 outbreak and the government's handling of the crisis: "A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. We see it in the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our communities," he said.

The former president also went on to reference the killing of Ahmaud Arbery saying, "Just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn't submit to their questioning. Injustice like this isn't new."

"No generation has been better positioned to be warriors for justice and remake the world," Obama told students. "Your participation in this democracy, your courage to stand up for what's right, your willingness to forge coalitions, these actions will speak volumes. And if you're inactive, that will also speak volumes."

Check out the commencement address for yourself here.

[Via]


About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
...