Oprah Winfrey at Tennessee State graduation: Expelled Black lawmakers 'building on the legacy of giants'
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Posted By: S. Moore on May 10, 2023 Oprah Winfrey delivered a hopeful and somewhat spiritual keynote address to more than 600 Tennessee State University graduates on Saturday, holding up two expelled and now reinstated state lawmakers as examples to all. “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future,” Winfrey said in front of an audience that included several thousand people. Both sides of Hale Stadium were nearly full on a cloudy cool morning in Nashville. “You’ll begin to know your own heart and figure out what matters most when you can listen to the still small voice," Winfrey said. "Every right move I made has come from listening deeply and following that still small voice.” Winfrey, a 1986 TSU graduate, did not sugarcoat the challenges facing the class of 2023 as she referenced attacks on the LGBTQ community and children gunned down by military grade assault rifles. “We live on a planet where there is more than enough wrong to keep you busy trying to make things right for the rest of your natural life,” she said before transitioning with praise for Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis. "I believe Tennessee has a couple of Justins just a few miles from here who would respectfully disagree," Winfrey said. The Black lawmakers were expelled from the state legislature after they led a gun-reform protest from the chamber floor following a mass shooting at The Covenant School that killed three children and three adults. Jones and Pearson have both been re-appointed to their seats ahead of a special-set primary on June 15 and general election on Aug. 3. The lawmakers "are using their eyes to prove the cynics wrong and are building on the legacy of giants," Winfrey continued in her speech. Her address lasted about 20 minutes and included advice like, "there will never be anything in your life as fulfilling as making a difference in somebody else's." Several students indicated they will remember as much or more the time the celebrity took to attend the ceremony. "It felt like a moment," graduate Brieon True said of Winfrey's appearance. Graduate Tania Matthews said she wanted to attend TSU since she was in the fourth grade. She remembered being assigned to a Black history project that featured Winfrey as a student in Chicago. "This is a full circle moment for me," Matthews said. Winfrey entered the stadium and interacted with the crowd, appearing to stop and take some pictures. During her speech, she led the crowd in the school's song "I'm So Glad." Winfrey's Nashville background includes work as a local television news anchor. Her philanthropy work here includes a $2 million donation for food relief to 10,000 local households. The donation was part of Winfrey’s $12 million COVID-19 Relief Fund, which was distributed to multiple underserved communities in cities the media mogul has ties to. "It just shows you she doesn't forget where she came from," TSU graduate Kennedy Malone said. SOURCE The Tennessean If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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