More from Alma Adams

Most of the shadows in one's lifetime come from standing in one's own sunshine.

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Alma Adams

Clinton College Commencement 2023, 2023

62:26

Video starts at 62:26 — the moment this quote was spoken

The Story Behind This Quote

Adams closes her speech with this Emerson quote as a final charge to the graduating class. She has spent the speech urging them to believe in themselves, to keep learning, to give back, to exhibit good character. Now she distills it to its essence: the biggest obstacle in your path is often yourself. Don't be a shadow in your own sunshine. Don't stand in your own way. And don't allow anybody else to block your view. It's a fitting capstone from a congresswoman who walked from Newark's ghetto streets to the halls of Congress — proof that the only thing that can truly stop you is you.

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