John R. Hawkins III
Everyone knows that a commencement is all about the great students who have completed their courses of study; however the 148th commencement at Howard University was that and more.
As greats such as L. D. Britt, world renowned surgeon and educator, Ambassador Horace G. Dawson, distinguished in education and diplomacy and Cicely Tyson, actress and humanitarian received Honorary Doctorates, there was one more to come; President Barack Hussein Obama.
The 44th President of the United States of America received a Doctorate of Science because of his work in securing the “affordable Health Care Act” but to me he really commenced as an active advocate for African Americans. His speech was electric and you could feel the vibrations of love and inspiration from him that was embraced by the graduates and their families, supporters and even people on the street passing by.
So, from “…my foxhole” this is how it went.
Interestingly, President Obama who already has many degrees exclaimed he”…got a degree from Howard”.
Now this is not about Howard U.; it just happened to be the place.
In 1854, before there was a Howard University which came about in 1867, there was an Ashmun Institution in Chester PA, that was renamed Lincoln in 1866. Bowie State, the oldest HBCU in Maryland, and Morgan State U., and Maryland Eastern Shore, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T, and Virginia State and many-many more have educated African Americans and all others for many years. Commencements there over the years have taken place; however, given this was one of the last graduations the president would attend before his term expires, this one seemed special.
The President of the United States, a Black man, did not speak, but he preached – and it was well received. What got me most was how people hearing it on loud speakers from outside the heavily secured area stopped on the streets of Washington, D.C. and listened and many even had tears in their eyes.
There was much too much to quote but as he recognized a young lady who was a “…first-time-college graduate from a family,” too many to chronicle exclaimed “…me too.”
From my foxhole, the “Brother President – if I may call him that” arrived. He did not speak of “…the melting-pot”; but rather he spoke of the need for the African American to look to the future with optimism. He spoke of how hard it is to be a Black person, even today to excel and to be prosperous. He also charged the graduates with appreciating their newly acquired greatness as those possessing degrees of which many of their grandparents and parents only dreamed; and then told them, as we say in the military, “…drive on and achieve greatness.”
He made it clear that the graduates must “…commence” not only on their careers and future degrees, but “…must vote and encourage others to vote.” He made it clear that to those who achieve greatness much is required; and that they have achieved it and must do much with it.
He even made a statement that ”… I finally got a degree from Howard.” Not exactly sure what he meant, because I’m not clairvoyant; however, I think it might have had something to do with the relevance of HBCUs; but then again, I’m just sayin from my “foxhole.”
Maj Gen US Army (ret) John R. Hawkins III, JD, MPA is President and CEO of Hawkins Solutions Intl., a government relations and lobby company. His last military assignment as a “two star” was Dir., Human Resources Directorate for the Army world-wide and prior to that Deputy Chief Public Affairs for the Army, world-wide.