Michelle Obama North Carolina A&T Commencement Speech Urges Graduates To Seek Change
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Posted By: Hija Chang on May 14, 2012 By EMERY P. DALESIO 05/12/12 04:39 PM ET AP GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The historic action that four North Carolina college students took that led to desegregation at lunch counters more than half a century ago shows what young people can do to change their world for the better, first lady Michelle Obama said during a commencement speech Saturday. Mrs. Obama addressed a crowd of about 15,000, including more than 1,200 graduates of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, one of the state university system's historically black schools. In 1960, four of the school's students put their careers and lives on the line by sitting down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter a few miles away, asked to be served coffee and were refused. They returned day after day in greater numbers, and others across the South followed their example, until the company eventually was forced to end separate treatment for black and white customers. North Carolina is considered a battleground state in the presidential election and the first lady's visit was expected to generate goodwill within a core Democratic Party constituency as President Barack Obama seeks re-election this fall. Mrs. Obama steered clear of references to politics and her husband's re-election bid, though the audience cheered when the first lady told graduates: "We have the responsibility to protect the ground that has already been won, because it can just as easily be lost." More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/12/m... If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Central State University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
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