Paving the Way Forward

In her speech on race, First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama addresses the graduating class of Tuskegee University. She discusses the academic institution's past, especially the role it played in advancing people of color, and even more specifically African Americans. She describes how previous generations felt a duty to their country as well as to other black people to pave the way forward.

In addition to sharing the stories of Tuskegee University, the speech on race also talks about some of the issues the speaker has faced as the first black First Lady. Despite the pressure she felt and racism in the press, she realized in order to stay sane she needed to not let others define her and have faith in God's plan for her. This clearly resonated with her audience as she received a standing ovation mid-speech.