President Obama celebrated blackness in his commencement speech Saturday at Howard University, a historically black school in Washington, D.C. He reflected on the progress black people have made in the face of racism and inequality since 1983, when he graduated from Columbia University.
"A lot of folks didn't even think blacks had the tools to be a quarterback," Obama said. "When I was a graduate, the main black hero on TV was Mr. T."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The female-led all-women tours in AfghanistanUnder The Radar Women are 'swapping cocktails in Ibiza' for visiting a 'terror hotspot'
-
An ancient Israeli cave teaches new archaeological lessonsThe Explainer The cave is believed to be one of the world's oldest burial sites
-
Music reviews: Tyler Childers and MadonnaFeature "Snipe Hunter" and "Veronica Electronica"
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein filesSpeed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oilSpeed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymanderSpeed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting voteSpeed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
Trump criticized for firing BLS chief after jobs reportSpeed Read Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer oversaw a July jobs report that the president claims was rigged
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness TestSpeed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib BukeleSpeed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on CanadaSpeed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
