Prospective Commencement Speakers

Commencement is on the horizon for many an undergraduate in the coming weeks (Mine was twelve years ago today), and one of the more interesting subjects that comes up around this time is the list of speakers. Some people have had the Obamas. Dick Cheney spoke at FSU once. Bill Clinton and Soledad O’Brien spoke at different FAMU ceremonies the same spring. I heard Dr. Humphries (in his final semester as president) and a state Supreme Court justice at two of my three graduations (didn’t go to the third). I heard Judge Hatchett at my cousin’s graduation…she was really good.

Anyway: if I were graduating in a couple weeks, who would I want to hear? No, I won’t count anyone I’ve heard already.

Tony Brown

He’s always going to top this list. I actually first heard of him when I woke up from a nap and heard him giving a commencement address at Howard on C-SPAN. I still have no clue how my TV ended up on C-SPAN. He talked about the ‘Prodigal Son’ and how that was similar to the drafting process that sports leagues employ and I was hooked. Bought Black Lies, White Lies and decided to go to grad school after reading it a second time. The rest is history.

Florida State Rep. Darryl Rouson

Easily my favorite legislator: not even close. Mind you, the minority leaders are both from my district. Rouson – who will be minority leader in the House in 2015 – has that preacher sound to him. When he talks, you can’t help but listen.

Tyler Perry

Go ahead and laugh. I really think TP would have interesting things to say and give a good commencement speech. Say what you want about how he presents his stories, but when you take away all that you have pretty good stories.

Jay Bilas

On top of being certified as trill by no less than Bun B, Bilas wrote a book which is amazing (by all accounts I’ve heard) and has a law degree. He has been pretty privileged throughout his life – I mean, he played for Duke and watches college basketball for a living – but I think he could appeal to a wide audience.

Lilly Ledbetter

If you saw the 2012 DNC, I really don’t need to explain this. She was obviously speaking for a particular cause, but I heard a voice that can convey any message she wants it to. I found it very easy to get wrapped up in what she was saying, even outside the subject matter.

Melissa Harris-Perry

If you know anything about her, I don’t need to explain this at all. She’s likely the most qualified of the group – since she’s a professor, she’s heard quite a few addresses – and she will say something that people need to hear…whether they want to hear it or not. And to cut this off, the lisp would not get in the way.

Dwayne Johnson

You can’t tell me that man wouldn’t give a commencement address for all time. He’d mix in comedy with intensity better than anyone above, and because of that he’d have people on the edges of their seats the entire time. I guarantee no one would fall asleep or be on their phones.

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Of course these aren’t the only seven, but they easily came to mind. I tried to come up with a decent cross-section of people. Anyway, that’s it for now.