Speech

Intolerance on this continent is ever-present and ever dangerous. At the same time, a determined man or woman can achieve remarkable things.

That is the story of Spelman College — that unyielding presumption of promise, that presumption of brilliance, that presumption that every woman who enrolls at this school has something infinitely valuable to offer this world. And ladies, that is now your story. That legacy is now your inheritance.

Every defeat to me was a challenge. And for six generations, that is what Spelman women have done. They have seen every defeat as a challenge.

Sometimes I'd save them the trouble and raise the questions myself, in my own head, lying awake at night, doubting whether I had what it took to succeed.

We have stone-age emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology. These three stanchions of current civilization explain why we are constantly in trouble.

All of mankind's problems are due to the fact that we do not know what we are and cannot agree on what we wish to become.

Go forth. Think. Save the world.

Do not leave before you leave. Do not lean back; lean in. Put your foot on that gas pedal and keep it there until the day you have to make a decision, and then make a decision.

It is the ultimate luxury to combine passion and contribution. It's also a very clear path to happiness.

Don't let your fears overwhelm your desire. Let the barriers you face — and there will be barriers — be external, not internal. Fortune does favor the bold, and I promise that you will never know what you're capable of unless you try.

It's not whether your attitude is good or bad, but does it define your direction? People usually fall short because they're a degree or two off in attitude, and over time and distance, that can put you in a place far away from where you would like to be.

All work and no imagination will most definitely make you an under-performer. Do you have the imagination to see yourself doing something truly exceptional?