Michelle Obama Commencement Speech Analysis

Everyone has his own reason for attending college. For some, it is to gain knowledge. For others, it is to increase chances of having a stable career and future. Some attend college simply because it seems like the natural thing to do. However, Michelle Obama proclaims that a college degree comes with the obligation to spread newfound knowledge to future generations and to improve the state of our country. While this is a noble statement, it does not change the fact that college attendance and the acquisition of a degree never oblige one to do anything. Rather, the choice belongs to the graduate. Throughout her commencement speech at Bowie State University, Obama repeatedly announces that graduates have the duty to educate future generations for the sake of giving meaning to their past; she urges them to keep alive the hunger for knowledge and improvement. In her Bowie State University Commencement Speech, Michelle Obama utilizes historical events to relay her point which states that graduates have the obligation to improve future
generations. Despite the good intentions of her argument, I do not believe that a diploma is contingent on the fulfillment of any obligation. Michelle Obama begins her address to the graduating class of Bowie State University by congratulating them on their achievements. She gives a brief history of the university and then continues to address the class specifically. However, her message to the class comes with a demand for the graduates to put their degrees to action by continuing the education of our citizens and improving future generations. She introduces this idea as she mentions the “obligations that come with a Bowie State education” (Obama 288). “Obligation” is defined as an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; it is a commitment that one makes. In this case, Obama’s point immediately causes the address to lose a certain degree of credibility as the first lady implies that the acquisition of a degree comes with the duty for the graduate to complete a certain task. Although this may seem like an irrelevant matter of word choice to some, the true underlying matter is that the first lady’s words are incorrect. Those who take her words literally do exactly what she wants: they believe that they truly have a moral obligation to continue the education and development of future generations. Obama’s argument is counterintuitive because, while the graduates had to complete extensive work in order to earn their degrees, the first lady now tells them that they must complete certain tasks as a result of this accomplishment. This is contrary to the truth because the graduates never sign contracts that state that they will complete certain tasks post-graduation. Rather, they achieve their degrees and are free to do what they please. Whether they choose to use their degrees and become educators or simply hang their degrees on their walls, they have no obligation, legal or moral, as a result of their achievements. Throughout her speech, Obama’s anecdotes emphasize the supposed moral obligation that the graduates have to their country and its future. The main source that Obama draws from in order to form her argument is the history of black education. She frequently employs emotional and inspirational stories that serve to support her view that all graduates must continue the education of future generations. The first lady gives numerous anecdotes that describe the conditions which black children endured in order to receive their education. For example, she tells the story of Ruby Bridges, a young black girl who attended a previously all-white school. Obama describes the struggles that the girl’s family endured along with the ridicule and hardships they faced. However, she goes on to mention the perseverance of the young girl and her family, hailing it as a “sacrifice” in order to satisfy the “hunger” for education (Obama 290). After hearing her many awe-inspiring historical anecdotes, many would probably agree with her idea that the graduates have the moral obligation to contribute to the education of future students. While this is a respectable idea, the fact that morals are subjective and vary by person invalidates her argument. This is not to say that Obama is wrong to suggest this path after college or that graduates should not strive to educate others, but that the obligation to do so is never present. While her cause is noble, she bases her arguments off of her vision of ideal moral values. As previously stated, an obligation is a commitment to which one is morally or legally bound. Because no student signs a contract that promises his commitment to the furthering of students’ educations in the future, it is clearly not a legal obligation. However, despite the emotional stories provided, a person’s morals are his own, and one woman does not have the power to declare a moral obligation on someone. Throughout her commencement speech to Bowie State University, Michelle Obama describes the moral obligation for the graduates to continue the education of future generations and to revive the hunger for knowledge.
However, her main point holds no truth because morals are subjective and are therefore not the same between every individual. Although many see the good nature of Obama’s intentions and see that she desires the best for the country, she bases her arguments off of her own morals and places weight on the shoulders of the graduates that never belongs there. While many will undoubtedly go on to educate others or use their degrees in some way to benefit future generations, nobody has an obligation to do so. Rather, it is a personal choice that each individual must make based on his or her own moral values. This lack of an obligation and freedom to choose one’s own path is the true example of freedom for
Americans.