Robert F. Smith’s 2019 Morehouse College Commencement Speech

Описание: In this memorable commencement address, Robert F. Smith, entrepreneur, philanthropist and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, announced his transformative $34 million gift to eliminate the student loan debt of the entire 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College. Smith only asked one thing of the graduates in return: to pay the gift forward. Many of them have already done so in the years since the donation. Smith also received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters that day.

Before making his announcement, Smith shared his vision of how to seize the American Dream by following five rules. The rules include doing the work, taking thoughtful risks, being intentional with your words, knowing that you are enough and liberating others so they can be their best selves.

He concluded his address with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church: “I want to be on your right side or your left side, in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world…a new world.”

In the years since making the gift to the Morehouse College students, Smith has continued his mission to ease the burden of debt for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through his support of Student Freedom Initiative (SFI), a nonprofit organization. SFI was initially funded with a $50 million donation by Fund II Foundation, of which Smith is the founding director and President. This grant was matched by a personal $50 million donation from Smith.
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Robert F. Smith is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, who is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista. Smith is committed to solving issues of racial and gender inequality, reforming the education system and eradicating systemic racism. To learn more about Smith, visit https://robertsmith.com/.

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Video Chapters:
00:00-03:04 Introduction
03:05-06:03 The Legacy of Morehouse College
06:04-09:00 Reflecting on the Civil Rights Movement
09:01-13:07 Robert F. Smith’s Family History in Denver, Colorado
13:08-16:32 A Call to Improve the Lives of Black Americans
16:33-17:32 Introduction to 5 Rules to Seize the American Dream
17:33-20:12 Nothing Replaces Actually Doing the Work
20:13-22:03 Take Thoughtful Risks
22:04-22:42 Always Be Intentional About the Words You Choose
22:43-25:05 Always Know That You Are Enough
25:06-27:13 We All Have the Responsibility to Liberate Others
27:14-29:14 Help Others and Create Communities
29:15-32:25 Robert F. Smith Speaks About His Mother
32:26-35:56 Robert F. Smith Tells the Graduates He Is Eliminating Their Student Loan Debt