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

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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.
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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 currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.
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