ICYMI: Vice President Kamala Harris Delivered the Commencement Address at Tennessee State University

Vice President Harris Urged Graduates to See the Opportunity and Responsibility of Leadership in this Moment

On Saturday, May 7, Vice President delivered the undergraduate commencement address at Tennessee State University, where she spoke to more than 500 graduates about the opportunity and responsibility of leadership in this moment in history. She discussed how the world needs them and their individual perspectives to help shape the principles that will define the future. She also talked about how her own experiences—including as a fellow graduate of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)—have influenced the way she views the world.

Vice President Harris was joined by TSU President Glenda Glover, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, and Nashville Mayor John Cooper. She accepted an honorary Doctorate of Humane Laws.

Read more below:

CBS: Kamala Harris to give commencement address at Tennessee State University
[Tim Perry, 5/7/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the 2022 commencement address at Tennessee State University, a historically Black university, on May 7, according to a White House official. TSU President Glenda Glover expressed her excitement over Harris — who is the first HBCU graduate to serve as president or vice president — joining the graduation ceremony.

AP: Harris urges grads to tackle problems in unsettled world
[Bruce Schreiner, 5/7/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris urged graduates of Tennessee State University on Saturday to apply their leadership skills to help tackle the multitude of challenges posed by an unsettled world. […]

The vice president also stressed her connection to the Tennessee State graduates as a fellow graduate of another historically Black university. She recalled seeing Howard University, her alma mater, the first time she flew on the vice presidential helicopter. While reminiscing about her time as a student, she said it reinforced the realization that "I could be anything, do anything, even if it had never been done before — like you."

Harris — the first female U.S. vice president, and the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent in the role — received a rousing welcome from the commencement crowd.

WSMV4: Vice President Kamala Harris celebrates TSU graduates
[Mary Alice Royse, 5/7/22]

[…] Vice President Harris was joined by TSU President Glenda Glover, Mayor Randall Woodfin, and Nashville Mayor John Cooper. TSU officials said Harris would also be awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Laws.

In her address to graduates, Vice President Harris discussed how the world needs them and their individual perspectives to help shape the principles that will define the future. She also added how her own experiences from being a fellow graduate of a Historically Black College or University had influenced the way she views the world.

"I stand before you today – as the Vice President of the United States of America and as a proud graduate of an HBCU – to say: There is no limit to your capacity for greatness. There is no obstacle you cannot overcome. There is no barrier you cannot break," Vice President Harris remarked in her speech.

News Channel 5 Nashville: Watch Vice President Kamala Harris' commencement address to Tennessee State University graduates
[Catlin Bogard, 5/7/22]

On Saturday morning, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the undergraduate commencement address to Tennessee State University graduates, telling students there "is no barrier you cannot break." The speech was the first time a sitting Vice President to have graduated from HBCU delivered the keynote address at an HBCU's Commencement.

HBCU Buzz: Kamala Harris Delivers Powerful Speech At Tennessee State University Spring Commencement
[Vanessa Roberson, 5/7/22]

Spring 2022 graduates of Tennessee State University received the speech of a lifetime when Vice President Kamala Harris delivered their commencement address today. Harris, a fellow HBCU graduate of Howard University, has made history as the first Black and first woman Vice President of the United States. Prior to joining the Biden Administration, she has held a lifetime of public service, including roles as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California. She was sworn into the United States Senate in 2017. […]

"I speak from personal experience when I say, hear me now, there are future members of your wedding party in this class," she said. "Someone sitting near you will ask you to be godparent to their child. Other years, you will reach out to some of the people around you when you've had a bad day, or a great one, and they will reach out to you too. And many of them might be present for your swearing in after your election into public office," she said, referring to her own historic election.

UPI: Kamala Harris gives speech to Tennessee State University grads
[Adam Schrader, 5/7/22]

[…] Harris told Tennessee State students that the world they were graduating into "is unsettled" and referenced the war in Ukraine as nearly 600 graduates walked the stage at Hale Stadium, according to a White House transcript of her speech.

"It is a world where long-established principles now rest on shaky ground," Harris said. "We see this in Ukraine, where Russia's invasion threatens international rules and norms that have provided unprecedented peace and security in Europe since World War II."

The Tennessean: With Roe v. Wade in the spotlight, Kamala Harris welcomes TSU grads into 'an unsettled world'
[Meghan Mangrum, 5/7/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris told the Tennessee State University class of 2022 that the world they are graduating into is "unsettled," citing the war in Ukraine, long-time racial and class inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and threats to women's rights among the biggest challenges the graduates will face. […]

After commending the more than 500 undergraduates of Nashville's own public historically Black university on their accomplishment, and even laughingly referencing $10 Tuesdays at local pizza joint Slim and Husky's founded by three TSU graduates, her tone turned somber. […]

"Graduates, I look at this unsettled world and yes, I can see the challenges, but I'm here to tell you that I see the opportunities. The opportunities for your leadership. The future of our country and our world will be shaped by you."

The Tennessee Tribune: Vice President Kamala Harris Delivers historic TSU Commencement Address, Receives Honorary Degree
[Staff, 5/7/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris cheered as she received an honorary doctorate degree in humane letters from Tennessee State University after addressing nearly 600 undergraduates at the Spring 2022 commencement ceremony.

Harris was hooded by TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover as the crowd looked on, including University trustees, cabinet members and mayors John Cooper of Nashville and Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, AL. […]

As a fellow HBCU graduate of Howard University, Harris gave the students a chance to mirror the person they can one day become.

The Vice President celebrated the 2022 graduates' through their trials, mentioning the challenges of obtaining a degree through the COVID-19 pandemic, fundamental principles, and racial inequalities.

Complex: Kamala Harris Says Women May Lose Right to 'Make Decisions' About Their Bodies as Supreme Court Decision Looms
[Brenton Blanchet, 5/8/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Tennessee State University commencement ceremony on Saturday, and warned graduates that they'll soon be entering an "unsettled" world, as the country is forced to defend "fundamental principles."

The speech, shared by ABC News, touched on a variety of topics—including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court. As the VP explains, students will be experiencing a "world where long-established principles now rest on shaky ground."

Black Enterprise: Kamala Harris Speaks at 1st HBCU Commencement Since Becoming VP, TSU Grads left with Dreary Message
[Wendy Medina, 5/8/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Tennessee State University's class of 2022 commencement ceremony on Saturday, leaving the newly-degreed graduates with a somber message.

According to the Tennessean, while speaking at TSU's Hale Stadium in Nashville, Harris touched on the eternal racial disparities intensified by the pandemic, the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, and more recently, the threat of women's reproductive rights as the future of Roe v. Wade looms in uncertainty.

The Tennessean: Everything Kamala Harris said – and didn't say – in Tennessee State commencement speech
[Meghan Mangrum, 5/7/22]

Vice President Kamala Harris packed a lot into her nearly 19-minute speech at Tennessee State University's commencement ceremony on Saturday.

Along with praising graduates for their accomplishments, she acknowledged the long-standing struggles that many of those who attend historically Black colleges and universities and their families have faced.

News Channel 5 Nashville: Vice President Kamala Harris mixes pomp and politics at TSU Graduation ceremony
[Chris Davis, 5/7/22]

[…] She began her remarks commending the impending graduates for making it through a tough few years. "Your class has traveled a stony road, a pandemic that took away so much of the college experience that you once imagined, and the world you graduate into, is unsettled," said Harris.

The Vice President quickly transitioned from pomp to politics. "In the United States, we are once again forced to defend fundamental principles that we hoped were long settled. Principles like the freedom to vote, the rights of women to make decisions about their own bodies," she said. […]

Shortly after Harris ended her remarks, she was brought back up to the lectern to receive her honorary doctorate from TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover. After being hooded by top university brass, Harris quipped, "I guess I'm now a Tiger."

ABC News: Women may lose right to 'make decisions about their own bodies': Harris
[5/7/22]

In a commencement speech at Tennessee State University, Vice President Kamala Harris discussed the rights of women while congratulating students for succeeding through the pandemic.