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(NNPA)—One hundred and nine Bennett College students shook my hand and received their diplomas last Saturday. With big smiles and a little swagger, they went through the time-honored ceremonies of baccalaureate and commencement. And, we were blessed to have phenomenal friends join us. Reverend Al Sharpton was our baccalaureate speaker, and former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman was our graduation speaker. Between the two of them they offered lessons for graduates all over the world.
Reverend Sharpton is an exceptional leader, brother and friend. He made lots of accommodations (including the taping his show) to get to Bennett on time. He was gracious, kind, and took pictures with all my folks. But most importantly, he brought an incredible message to the campus. He told our students to claim their crown, claim their destiny. He reminded them of the many ways that the rejected eventually prevail and asked them to claim their crown. Earning several minutes of standing applause, it is clear that Rev. Sharpton knocked it out of the park.
And then we had Secretary Herman whose down home humor and corporate knowledge combined to offer sage, savvy, and humorous advice. She shared that a potential employer said the best job she could get was as a secretary, and she fulfilled his prediction by being Secretary of Labor for the United States.
Secretary Herman offered students valuable advice about navigating a sluggish labor market that only generated 115,000 jobs last month. More than 170,000 people withdrew from the labor market because they are so discouraged that they think the jobs are not there. But my sister Alexis Herman didn’t dwell on the negative, but encouraged students to be positive and encouraged, to do their homework and prepare for interviews, to be focused and phenomenal. It is important to note that she is the woman the late icon Dorothy Irene Height laid hands on, a sister who brings us all together and encourages us all to make a difference.
Between Herman and Sharpton, my students got a blessing. They were told to persevere, to accept their crown and destiny, and to do their homework to make their dreams come true. While Herman and Sharpton were simply speaking to Bennett students, in some ways they were speaking to our nation and our world. They were reminding us that despite tough and crazy economic times, each of us can make a difference when we are focused, committed, and forward thinking.
There are more than 1.7 million young people, and some not so young, who will graduate from college this month or in June. Not many will have the one-two punch of Rev. Al Sharpton and Alexis Herman. I am glad to have them as my friends. They are luminaries, and visionaries, folks who speak both ebonics and high phonics. They sowed into the lives of 109 Bennett women who have graduated, but they have also sowed into the life of our nation. I have been blessed to have them grace our campus.
The essence of the Sharpton/Herman message was powerful. Rev. Sharpton urged us to claim our crown, our dignity, and the array of our possibilities. The Honorable Alexis Herman reminded us that to win the game, we have to play it. Between them, they advised Bennett students to clam their destiny, even in a tough economy. It’s an interesting time. Young people are being kicked to the curb with the possibility that Pell grants will be further cut and interest rates may rise on student loans.
The bottom line is that this is a tough and challenging economy and there are opportunities. At Bennett there were two speakers who urged students to claim their crown, to never give up, despite the challenges of the economy. Their message hit home on our campus, but it also hit home in our nation and our world. Thank you, Rev. Al Sharpton and Hon. Alexis Herman for coming to Bennett and sharing your wisdom with our students.
(Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.)
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