Graduation Speech

Black families in Stamps consider graduating as a prestigious step into a new level in life. Their whole community is radiant with delight as their children prepare to walk the stage. One guest speaker puts an unpleasant taste in Marguerite’s mouth. He starts to describe all the upcoming improvements for the other “white” school, but doesn’t discuss the achievements of her school. She starts to feel bereaved about graduating now and so does everyone, her family, friends, and community, around her. But they catch a little bit of hope before the end of the ceremony. Graduation is important to Marguerite and the people of Stamps because before the 1940s, many African Americans couldn’t graduate. Many of them were not allowed to attend school.
Everyone is the crowd went from feeling proud to sorrowful in an instant. In his speech, Donleavy went on and stated how there were going to be some “wonderful” changes the children had coming. The Central School, the white school, had many improvements in store for them. Famous artists from Little Rock to teach them, getting new equipment for their laboratories, and so much more. The only good thing he could say about Lafayette County School was, “one of the first-line football tacklers at Arkansas Agricultural and Mechanical College had graduated from good ole Lafayette County Training School.” Donleavy continued to express all the good athletes that come from their school. He didn’t praise them on academics, nor did he acknowledge the graduating classes. He was focused on the black athletes that go on and continue to make them
She didn’t feel as if she was important anymore. She said, “Graduation, the hush-hush magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations an diplomas, was finished for me before my names was called. The accomplishment was nothing.” Her elated spirit about graduating had been crushed all because the white man praised their people before the blacks. Mr.Donleavy made their community feel like they were nothing but maids and farmers. As Margueritte stated, “anything higher that we aspired to was farcical and presumptuous.” Donleavy was using these kids to gain votes from their parents. He assured them that if he won, their school would be the only colored pavd playing field in that part of Arkansas. Margueritte made a good point. She says. “There was no “nobler in the mind” for Negroes because the world didn’t think we had minds, and they us know