President Barack Obama took the stage at Howard University today to deliver the 2016 commencement address to the masses of graduates and honorary degree recipients gathered at "The Mecca" in Washington, D.C. POTUS' speech follows his appointment of Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick to his board of advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Friday. POTUS was conferred the Doctor of Science honorary degree during today's ceremony, where actress Cicely Tyson also received the honorary Doctor of Letter degree. In the pantheon of HBCU's, it is no secret that Howard's campus is considered hallowed ground as a storehouse of academic excellence that counts some of the most iconic figures in black history among its alumni base. It makes complete sense, then, that President Obama's visit to the yard would yield what is already being billed as one of the most impactful speeches of his final term - an affirmation of blackness and the African-American lineage of activism that challenged students to go beyond the hashtag to pick up the ballot and be the change he often referenced during his first presidential campaign. Check the footage below to view the full commencement. Skip ahead to the 90-minute mark to view POTUS' commencement speech. Get more at whitehouse.gov.
Spotted at WTY.
