By AFRO Staff
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on May 4 delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of 2025 at Lincoln University, a Pennsylvania-based historically Black institution.
“We are honored to have Governor Wes Moore address our graduates at Lincoln University’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony,” said Lincoln University President Brenda A. Allen in a statement. “Governor Moore’s extraordinary path from military officer to Maryland’s first Black governor, and a staunch advocate for educational equity, exemplifies the perseverance and leadership we aim to cultivate in our students. His dedication to social justice and educational progress reflects our core values, making him an inspirational role model for our graduates as they step forward into their futures.”
The governor’s address centered on patriotism during uncertain times, told through the story of his grandfather, the Rev. Dr. James Thomas—an alumnus of Lincoln University, who was run out of the United States by the Ku Klux Klan as a child, according to his office.
“I am here today not just because Lincoln University is one of the premier institutions of higher learning in this country. But because I would not be here without you. This school created a way for me because you created a way for James Thomas, my grandfather,” Moore said, according to excerpts from his prepared speech.
“And just as I stand here as part of my grandfather’s legacy, so are you,” he continued. “Class of 2025: You are the living custodians of our nation’s past and the architects of its present, and the relationship you build with this country will help determine our future.”
A graduate of Valley Forge Military Academy, Moore furthered his education at Johns Hopkins University, where he became the institution’s first Black Rhodes Scholar, later earning a master’s from Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Moore’s military career includes serving as a lieutenant in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. Upon returning, he was appointed a White House Fellow, focusing on national security and international relations. Moore is also an accomplished author, with works like “The Other Wes Moore” and “Five Days,” addressing issues of race and equity.
In his speech, the former military man shared his understanding of what patriotism means, saying it is about recognizing that every person has a role to play and each person matters.
“Real patriotism is neither waving the victory flag nor the white flag,” Moore said. “Real patriotism is understanding that every fingerprint is going to matter.”
Maryland’s 63rd governor also emphasized the importance of the graduates looking back with gratitude to the sacrifices and advancements made by those who came before even as they look to build a better future for their descendants.
“Today, and every day, let us give thanks for those who came before us – who prayed for the hope of us. Because the future prays that you will work on behalf of the hope of them,” Moore said. “And now, as you take your next steps, all I ask of you is this: Live in such a way that when you hand off this country to the next generation, your descendants will say back: ‘They understood the assignment.’ That is the most patriotic thing that you can do.”
Following his commencement address, the governor received an honorary doctor of humane letters from the university.
Located amid the rolling farmlands and wooded hilltops of southern Chester County, Lincoln University received its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1854, making it the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU.