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‘To the class of 2023, I say three words: you poor bastards’: the year’s best graduation speeches

Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Karine Jean-Pierre deliver words of wisdom at commencement ceremonies across US

I t’s been a typical commencement season across the US, with luminaries from the worlds of journalism, Hollywood and politics offering students the wisdom of their experience. The tradition stretches back over a century, and some of the most famous speeches in US history – from George C Marshall’s revealing of what would become known as the Marshall Plan to David Foster Wallace’s This Is Water – have been given to graduating students.

What’s less typical about this year, the speakers agree, is the environment the class of 2023 finds itself entering, faced with threats to democracy, the climate catastrophe, entrenched racism and a host of other crises. Graduation speeches tackled these concerns while finding reasons to hope – and even make a few jokes.

Among this year’s best lines, edited for brevity:

Patton Oswalt, actor and comedian, William & Mary

To the graduating class of 2023, I say three words: you poor bastards.

Democracy’s crumbling, truth is up for grabs, the planet’s trying to kill us, and loneliness is driving everyone insane.

I breezed into a world full of trivia and silliness and fun. You are about to enter a hellscape where you will have to fight for every scrap of your humanity and dignity. You do not have a choice to be anything but extraordinary. Those are the times you’re living in right now.

It’s been truly amazing to see how your generation has rebelled against every bad habit of mine and every generation that came before me. Everything that we let calcify, you have kicked against and demolished. You’ve rejected that whole 24/7, no-days-off grind. You’ve rejected apathy. You’ve rejected ignoring your mental health because “you’ve gotta muscle through it no matter what”. You’ve rejected alienation and cruelty. You’ve rejected not trying to include everyone. And you’ve rejected not looking out for each other.

And those are hard things to reject. Because accepting them sometimes makes life way easier. If you just shut off yourself from the world, life is way easier. It’s also way less colorful, way less complicated, way less nourishing, and way less memorable.

Isabel Wilkerson, journalist and author, Occidental College

Our country is like an old house. And the owner of an old house knows that whatever you were ignoring will never go away. Whatever’s lurking will fester, whether you choose to look or not. Ignorance is no protection from the consequences of inaction.

Many people might rightly say: “I had nothing to do with how this all started. I have nothing to do with the sense of the past. My ancestors never attacked Indigenous people and never owned slaves. Not one of us was here when this house was built.”

Our immediate ancestors may have had nothing to do with it. But here we are the current occupants of a property with stress cracks and bowed walls and fissures built into the foundation. We are heirs to whatever is right or wrong with it. We did not erect these uneven pillars and joists and beams; we did not install the frayed wiring and the corroded pipes; but they are ours to deal with now, and any further deterioration is in fact on our hands.

If we have learned anything from Covid, it is that an invisible organism without a brain managed to cause upheaval across the planet and overtake a presumably smarter species because it does not care about color. It does not care about nationality or immigrant status or gender or sexual orientation or national borders or passports. Covid sees all humans for what we actually are: one interconnected and interdependent species. It sees what we have in common if humans don’t see it themselves. We are all in this together and it is time we started to act like it.

Raphael Warnock, Georgia senator, Bard College

I know as you sit here – perhaps 21, 22, 23 years old – you say, well, what should I do? What is it that the world needs? My answer, in the words of [the author] Howard Thurman: “Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

In other words, I challenge you to find your passion. I challenge you to find that thing in the world that feels like such a deep moral contradiction that you cannot be silent. You have to express yourself; you have to stand up and try to make the world better. Find anything that you would do for free except that you have to pay the rent or the mortage. And chase after it with all of your might.

Tom Hanks, actor, Harvard University

We all have special powers and abilities far beyond the reach of other mortals. Some of us can repair a screen door with ease. Some of us can take care of a five-year-old kid and a toddler for 24 hours a day and never stop loving them. Some of us make sense of physics and economics and global policy. Some of us survive somehow on minimum earnings. Some of us graduate from colleges despite years of lockdowns and Zooms.

The American way is exampled in both plain sight and in subtle attitude. It’s in moments of routine exchange and in broad expectations. It’s in places of historic weight and import and in the small spaces in which we all stand. The American way could be exampled when you respect the law and the rights of all. Because if you don’t, who will? When your food is brought to you, will you thank the server? Because if you don’t, who will? Would you pick up the litter that has missed the recycling bin? Because if you don’t, who will? When you vote your conscience and make sure your neighbor has the opportunity to do the same with theirs, because if you don’t, who will? When you make good on your victories and learn from your losses because both are the results of proud and noble efforts, if you don’t, who will?

Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, Rice University

Your road has been long. But here is something that I do believe that I can share – something that I’m partially qualified to give advice on.

Do not allow hardships, personal or existential, to become a barrier to your ability to look ahead with hope. Rather, embrace the challenge and take the building blocks of lessons you’ve learned during your most trying times – times you wanted to quit or run away or thought the path ahead was just too dark to even attempt to find the light. Take these experiences with you. Embrace them and use your experience to face the challenges ahead. Because you are more than capable. You are enough.

Your past is the proof of that. Getting to this point, graduation day is a validation that even if you fretted about your future or struggled with your past, you still chose to move forward to hope. And that hope is action.

Sanna Marin, Finnish prime minister, New York University

For decades, we have lived in a world with an optimistic expectation of progress. We have expected our values such as freedom of speech, rule of law, gender equality and democracy to bloom hand in hand with the expansion of free market economy. We thought that globalization and growth would be enough to benefit everyone. We expected to see less authoritarian rule, more respect for diversity and a better world that does not discriminate against people based on their skin tone, gender, sexual orientation or religion. We have expected the freedom of information and the internet to broaden everyone’s understanding.

But the history did not end.

Freedom of speech and other true elements of democracy are being questioned and limited all over the world. Whether this means diminishing the truth with false balance or using our personal data to influence our democratic elections, the rule of law as well as freedom of expression and the media need active defending.

The swollen amount of inequality and a lack of social mobility are challenging our ideas about everyone having the same possibilities and freedoms in life.

All of these questions are battles of values. And we all must take a side in that battle. There is no middle ground.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, journalist and author, Spelman College

You’re a part of an institution that understands Black excellence should never be disqualified by white institutions. And so I hope that Spelman has imbued into you that it is possible to succeed in those spaces where people don’t think we belong without compromising your values and your sense of self. That success doesn’t mean you have to look or talk or think a certain way. I stand here with this bright red hair, big hoop earrings and Jordans on, telling you that however you present yourself in the world has nothing to do with your intellect, your ambition and your worth.

Success will not be worth it if you have to sell yourself out to get it. So hold on to who you are.

Oprah Winfrey, talkshow host, actor and producer, Tennessee State University

There will never be anything in your life as fulfilling as making a difference in somebody else’s. Everybody here wants to see you take your integrity, your curiosity, your creativity, your guts, and this newfound education of yours and use it to make a difference. Everybody always thinks you got to go do something big and grand. I’ll tell you where you start.

You start by being good to at least one other person, every single day. Just start there. That’s how you begin to change the world.

There will be times when making the next right decision will be scary. I’ll tell you a secret. That’s how I’ve gotten through every challenge without being overwhelmed – by asking: what is the next right move? You don’t have to know all the right moves. You just need to know the next one.

But I can’t just tell you what desperate shape the universe is in, so I’m going to leave you with this instead: the world is weaning itself off Russian fuel. Electric cars are going mainstream across the globe. That hole we punched in the ozone layer is healing. Ukraine is still in there fighting for us all. Finland joined Nato. Covid is currently receding and there are human beings who very quietly donate their bone marrow to strangers. And this to me signals that the United States of America may not be united, but we are not a finished product. My point is, anything is possible. The wheels are still in spin.

Lester Holt, journalist, Villanova University

“I don’t know.” It’s a surprisingly difficult thing to say for someone who spends each day providing answers to millions of people on a lot of topics. It’s hard to say, and especially in a society that seems to thrive on sharp opinion and absolutisms and shuns nuance.

Nobody wants to be the guy in the back of the room who feels like they are the only one who hasn’t figured out the answer. But guess what? Chances are neither have the guys in the front rows. Until we can acknowledge what we don’t know, we can’t possibly be asking the right questions.

You don’t have to be the smartest guy in the room. Your aim should be to be the one asking for more information. The one audacious enough to say: “I don’t know.”

Mae Jemison, astronaut, University of Delaware

Look up at the sky, the clouds, beyond the sun, the moon, the stars, when you need to recharge your spirit.

Let the gravity of Earth give you a warm hug. Look up and remember what inspires you, what you were doing this for and why you cared in the first place.

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These Critics Choice Awards Acceptance Speeches Are All the Self-help You Need

Hollywood has been putting in the work emotionally. Big winners of the 2023 Critics Choice Awards included the generational-trauma-healing Everything Everywhere at Once, the heartwarming Abbott Elementary, and the … extant Dahmer. Uniting many of the winners were the inspiring acceptance speeches. Niecy Nash-Betts rubbed her success in her doubters’ faces, Jennifer Coolidge called out ageist time frames for success, and Sheryl Lee Ralph went full RuPaul on her self-love crusade. Here are some highlights from the self-helpiest acceptance speeches at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards.

Niecy Nash-Betts, Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Niecy Nash-Betts thanked her mother for her award as well as gloating in front of the haters. “When I decided to become an actor, I saw myself doing drama. And the industry was kind, but they said, ‘Stay in your comedy lane.’ Sometimes people wanna leave you where they meet you,” she said. “And I did what I knew to do: I cried. And I said, ‘Mama, don’t you think I’m a good dramatic actress?’ And she said, ‘Girl, I don’t … but you can be. You find best class you can in this town, and I’mma work overtime to pay for it.’ Thank you, mama. All you need is one.”

Jennifer Coolidge, Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Coolidge continued her streak of killer acceptance speeches for The White Lotus. “For anyone who’s sort of given up hope, I hope this gives you inspiration. It’s not over till it’s over,” she said. “It’s not over till you’re dead.”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Sheryl Lee Ralph has also been on an award-acceptance-speech kick. This time, she made sure every single viewer loved themself. “And to all of you watching here, come close to the screen and listen: People don’t have to like you; people don’t have to love you. They don’t even have to respect you.” Okay, dark start, but it got more inspirational: “But when you look in the mirror, you better love what you see,” she said. “You better love what you see.” Can I get an “Amen”?

Janelle Monáe, SeeHer Award

Janelle Monáe, a she/they/free-ass motherfucker, accepted the SeeHer award on behalf of people like them. “If you know my story, I wasn’t supposed to make it outta Kansas City, Kansas, and be here tonight. I wasn’t. I didn’t see the vision clearly for myself,” they said. “I couldn’t see my gift. I couldn’t see what my purpose was supposed to be at that time. But thank you, God, so many other people did. They didn’t give up on me, and they gave me opportunity despite my own lack of confidence. So anyone out there like me watching right now, I just want you to know that I’ve seen you, but I challenge you to see you.”

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7 life lessons from this year's most memorable graduation speeches

• It's graduation season, and many celebrities have given memorable commencement speeches. 
• Some notable speakers include Bill Gates, Michelle Yeoh, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• Here's a roundup of the best quotes from 2023 commencement speeches.

Billionaire Bill Gates said "you are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack"

"My last piece of advice is the one I could have used the most. It took me a long time to learn. And it is this: You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack," said Bill Gates to the graduates of Northern Arizona University at their commencement ceremony on May 13.

In his commencement speech, Gates shared that he "didn't believe in vacations." Only as he got older, he realized that "there is more to life than work."

"Don't wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses," he added.

American songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda told graduates to "keep choosing life and keep choosing connection"

"What do you have to do? What do you want to do? Tomorrow is not promised. Make plans anyway," said the famous playwright, actor, and Hunter College High School alumnus Lin-Manuel Miranda to Hunter College graduates in his commencement speech on May 30, per The New York Post .

"You are opening doors. Shout, 'Here we are!' You're filling up days on a diamond. Keep choosing life and keep choosing connection. It will feel like you're running out of time. But in all likelihood, you've got plenty of time," said Miranda.

Oprah Winfrey advised graduates to "not let the world make an impostor syndrome out of you"

"'I come as one, I stand as 10,000' has been my mantra for power. Because for so many of my earlier years, I was the only woman, I was the only person of color," said famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey to the graduates at of her alma mater Tennessee State University at their commencement ceremony on May 6, per Oprah Daily .

"And at no time did I ever feel out of place, or not enough, or inadequate — or an impostor. Do not let the world make an impostor syndrome out of you. Why? Because I knew who I was," Winfrey said.

Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh said "knowing your limits keeps you humble, motivated, and focused on a goal to point your finger toward"

"Internally, knowing your limits keeps you humble, motivated, and focused on a goal to point your finger toward," said the Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh to the graduates of Harvard Law School during the commencement ceremony on May 24, per The Harvard Crimson .

"Externally, knowing the limits that are set for you by others gives you a place to point a different finger — I am talking about the middle one," she continued. 

"For every winner, there doesn't have to be a loser. In fact, most success stories are less about competition and more about collaboration," said Yeoh. "The truth is, I could not have done any of this alone."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "time is the most valuable resource on the planet"

"Time is the most valuable resource on the planet. Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones. Others realize it too late when they lose someone or something," said the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Johns Hopkins University's class of 2023 at their commencement ceremony on May 25, per CBS News .

"I'm certain you, as your forefathers did, will continue to lead the free world and this century will be our century," Zelenskyy said, "a century where freedom, innovation and democratic values reign. A century where tyrannies that repress their own and seek to enslave their neighbors will vanish from earth once and for all." 

Tom Hanks believes "we are all created equally yet differently, and of course we are all in this together"

"In the never-ending battle you have all officially joined as of today, the difference is in how truly you believe, in how vociferously you promote, in how tightly you hold onto the truth that is self-evident: that of course we are all created equally yet differently, and of course we are all in this together," said Hollywood veteran actor Tom Hanks to Harvard's Class of 2023 at the school's 372nd Commencement ceremony on May 25, per The Harvard Gazette .

"We are all in a cage match, mixed martial arts battle royale with agents of intolerance and braying incompetence, the malevolent equals to Imperial stormtroopers, Lex Luther, and Loki. And we could use a superhero right now," said Hanks.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges graduates to "speak up and act, so that world leaders can muster the necessary political will"

"The fact of the matter is that today's world leaders have thus far failed miserably by putting selfish national interests ahead of urgent global needs," former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told graduates of Harvard Kennedy School on May 24, per Harvard Kennedy School .

"They have failed to see the big picture — that the world will sink or swim together — or they have decided to play a dangerous game of chicken — demanding that others do more to curb CO2 emissions," Ban said.

"I urge you to speak up and act, so that world leaders can muster the necessary political will," said Ban. "It is up to your generation to fix what my generation failed to fix," Ban added.

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• The biggest moments from the 2023 Oscars

From Questlove’s Crocs to David Byrne’s hot-dog fingers, here are the night’s biggest (and weirdest) moments

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The 2023 Oscars proceeded with the usual opening pomp and grand celebrity fashion show, as expected from Hollywood’s biggest night. The red carpet was full of wild questions, Jimmy Kimmel opened the night with expected slap jokes , then Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis won the audience’s heart with their moving, emotional acceptance speeches for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. David Byrne donned a pair of hot-dog-finger gloves while performing an original song from Everything Everywhere All At Once , alongside Mitski. And Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava tore up the stage with their performance of “Naatu Naatu” from S. S. Rajamouli’s Oscar-nominated Indian action epic RRR .

If you didn’t catch the three-hour-plus broadcast — or just want to relive some of the night’s brightest and weirdest moments — we’ve rounded up the best, the funniest, the most touching, and most exhilarating moments from tonight’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Let’s get down to it!

Questlove shows off his diamond-encrusted Crocs

This year at the Oscars, plenty of attendees showed up in white or cream-accented outfits to complement the ceremony’s extravagant pale entranceway, nicknamed the “Champagne Carpet.” Not Questlove, though. The Oscar-winning director and iconic joint frontman of The Roots showed up in nothing short of diamond-encrusted Crocs, stating that he’s “just been choosing comfort for years now,” and he’s showing up to “shine his light.”

I just got one question, though: What are those ?

Hugh Grant is here, and man, he is so over it

Hugh Grant #Oscars pic.twitter.com/WOGQAdDqoj — bruce (@BruceJVail) March 12, 2023

Did you know that Hugh Grant was in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion ? It’s true, he makes a brief (and I mean brief ) appearance at the beginning, as Phillip, partner to detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). He’s there for like, all of five seconds.

Anyway, Grant was asked what it was like to film the movie, and whether he had fun. His answer: Ehhh?

The Snyder bros are back, and they are being extremely normal

Plane flying over the #Oscars red carpet right now with a banner that reads: #OscarsCheerMoment Zack Snyder’s Justice League pic.twitter.com/PYJn9kTbEW — Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) March 12, 2023

Remember when Zack Snyder’s Justice League (not to be confused with 2017’s Justice League ) won the coveted #OscarsCheersMoment prize at last year’s Academy Awards ceremony ? No? Well, the Snyder bros of the world sure do, and they’re clutching that “W” hard, like the prickly armored vice-grip of Steppenwolf. Somebody even went so far as to fly a plane trailing a banner over the Oscars red carpet, just to remind folks that it happened.

Jimmy Kimmel mocks the Nicole Kidman AMC ad

We come to the 95th Academy Awards ceremony for magic. We come to laugh, to cry, to care. That indescribable feeling we get when Jimmy Kimmel parachutes from the ceiling onto the stage and proceeds to riff on Nicole Kidman’s viral AMC ad, expressing gratitude that she’s free from that “abandoned theater she’s been trapped in for two years,” and snickering about how the ad urges people who are already in the theater to go to the theater. Because we need that — all of us.

Naatu Naatu dancers pulled Kimmel off stage

Getting played off by the Jaws theme song? Pssh, been there, done that. This year, Kimmel claimed, any Oscar winner who went overboard on their acceptance speech would get Naatu Naatu’d off the stage, which he promptly demonstrated.

Ke Huy Quan wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor

Ke Huy Quan accepted the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Waymond Wang in the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan delivered a moving acceptance speech dedicated to his mother and his wife Echo, to roaring applause, recalling the story of his time in a refugee camp in Hong Kong as a child, and his arrival in America.

Jamie Lee Curtis dedicating her win to her parents — because Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh never won an Oscar

Jamie Lee Curtis accepted the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Deirdre Beaubeirdre in the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once — the first nomination and first win in her 46-year career. She dedicated her award to her father Tony Curtis and her mother Janet Leigh, who never won Oscars, but were nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, for their performances in 1958’s The Defiant Ones and 1960’s Psycho.

The live-action-short winner sings “Happy birthday”

Tom Berkley and Ross White’s An Irish Goodbye won the award for Best Live Action Short at the 95th Academy Awards. Berkley took the opportunity to celebrate the birthday of the film’s co-star James Martin, by dedicating half his winner’s speech slot to a sing-along rendition of “Happy Birthday to You.”

David Byrne in hot-dog fingers

Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne took to the stage for a performance of “This Is A Life” from the Everything Everywhere All At Once soundtrack, with the latter donning a hot-dog-finger gloves to celebrate the occasion. That’s not all: Raccacoonie even made a surreal, glow-eyed appearance! Wow, all the stars really are out here tonight!

The donkey from Banshees of Inisherin hits the stage

Following a commercial break, Jimmy Kimmel brought out Jenny, the donkey that starred alongside Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin , describing Jenny as a “certified emotional support donkey” while encouraging her to thank Gleeson for letting her eat his finger. Awww!

[ Ed. note: The donkey seen on stage is confirmed to not be Jenny the Donkey, but in fact an imposter! Booooo!]

It's official: I've had it confirmed that the donkey on stage with Jimmy Kimmel was NOT Jenny the donkey. Sorry to disappoint my fellow Jenny fans. My source informs me that "Jenny is still relaxing in Ireland" #Oscars https://t.co/ax0cbR1Xcy — Alex Ritman (@alexritman) March 13, 2023

Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava perform “Naatu Naatu,” confirmed as a “total banger”

Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava — the playback singers who performed “Naatu Naatu” in S.S. Rajamouli ’s Indian action drama RRR in place of the film’s stars, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan — took to the stage for a performance of the song, complete with all the exhausting-looking dance choreography from the movie itself. Naturally, this one later won the Best Song Oscar.

Cocaine Bear showed up

There he is. Cocaine Bear.

Lady Gaga’s emotional performance of her Top Gun: Maverick song

Lady Gaga changed out of her champagne-carpet duds and into a plain black T-shirt and torn jeans for a passionate, intimate performance of her original song “Hold My Hand” from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack. Gaga’s performance was particularly striking for its otherwise sparse presentation and dynamic cinematography. The performance ended with a touching dedication to Top Gun director Tony Scott, who died in 2012.

Hugh Grant calls his face “basically a scrotum”

This is the Hugh Grant we came to see. He points at Andi Macdowell and says. "Still stunning," and then to himself and says, "a scrotum." #Oscars pic.twitter.com/5E1GazCA8a — Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) March 13, 2023

Hugh Grant certainly seem to lighten up as the night went along, joking with his speech partner Andie Macdowell about the importance of regularly applying moisturizer while presenting the award for Best Production Design. Grant went so far as to compare Macdowell as “still stunning” thanks to her regular skin routine, meanwhile comparing himself to “a scrotum.” Hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

Malala declines to weigh in on Spitgate 2021

Midway through the show, Kimmel took to the aisles to ask “viewer-submitted questions” of some of the audience’s most distinguished guests, starting with Malala Yousafzai. The Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate was asked for her take on whether Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine while promoting Olivia Wilde’s 2022 psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling . Obviously taken aback by the brazen silliness of the question, Yousafzai curtly yet politely replied, “I only talk about peace.” Now that is what we should expect from a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

The Daniels deliver a frantic top-speed double speech

Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka the Daniels) accepted the award for Best Original Screenplay for Everything Everywhere All At Once by trading turns at the mic and trying to cram in as much speech as possible. Scheinert pretended he was about to call out all the mean teachers who gave him detention, then thanked the ones who changed his life instead. Kwan professed his love of storytelling amid a touching admission of imposter syndrome. The speech read as if they were afraid — like so many nominees before them — that they might be overlooked in the other categories, and wouldn’t get a chance back onstage, so they had to make the most of their moment. Little did they know.

Sarah Polley wins, Frances McDormand looms

Sarah Polley’s making this moving speech and you’ve just stoic Frances McDormand staring down on her the whole time #Oscars pic.twitter.com/KgzJ0X2nd9 — Will Mavity (@mavericksmovies) March 13, 2023

A spectre is haunting Sarah Polley — the spectre of Francis McDormand. The director took to the stage to accept the award for Best Adapted Screenplay on behalf of her 2022 film Women Talking .

Polley delivered a moving speech about the film’s message about people’s power to disagree while still coming together to build a better future. But she wasn’t the only center of attention. A gigantic screenshot of Frances McDormand, who starred in the film, loomed over Polley’s shoulder with an expression that bore a striking resemblance to Death from Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal by way of the Engineer from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus . Beautiful speech, but seriously, WTF was that about?

RRR composer gives his winner’s speech in song

RRR composer M. M. Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose took to the stage to accept the award for Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu.” Keeravaani, who professed his love for The Carpenters, sung his acceptance speech to the tune of their 1972 song “Top of the World.”

The Daniels return and win Best Director

The Daniels took to the Oscars stage to receive yet another award, this time for Best Director. Scheinert took the opportunity to thank his parents for encouraging his creativity, while Kwan delivered a passionate speech on the collaborative nature of genius and the inherent greatness within every person.

Brendan Fraser mixes whale metaphors in his Best Actor speech

Brendan Fraser accepted the award for Best Actor for his starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale . Through tears, Fraser thanked Aronofsky for “throwing him a creative lifeline” and praised the cast and crew of The Whale alongside the other nominees, all via a series of extended whale metaphors. Fraser’s victory was the brightest spot in a controversial film , marking the end of a very long and difficult comeback for the actor.

Michelle Yeoh wins Best Actress

Everything Everywhere All At Once continued its sweep, with Michelle Yeoh winning the award for Best Actress . (Which puts Everything Everywhere All At Once at three out of four of the acting awards — something that’s only happened two other times in Oscar history.)

Yeoh is the first Asian actor to win the Best Actress Oscar. She began her speech saying, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dreams come true. And ladies… never let anybody tell you that you are past your prime.”

Everything Everywhere All At Once wins Best Picture

After sweeping the major categories all night, it wasn’t so much a surprise that the A24 multiverse dramedy picked up the top prize of the night . Victories are rarely this sweet.

“This is for my dad,” said producer Jonathan Wang, “who like so many immigrant parents, died young. He is so proud of me… not because of this, but because we made this movie with what he taught me to do: That no person is no important than profits, and no one is more important than anyone else.”

Harrison Ford gives Ke Huy Quan a big Temple of Doom hug

The producers of the 2023 Oscars knew what they were doing when they asked Ford to present the Best Picture Oscar — Everything Everywhere All at Once was the clear favorite for the win, and putting the legend on stage meant the potential for an adorable reunion with his former Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom co-star Ke Huy Quan. And that’s exactly what happened, minutes after the EEAAO cast took the stage for the Best Picture win. I mean, c’mon, this echo of their long-ago movie is a great moment in award-show history.

Correction: A previous version of this article misattributed Stephanie Hsu as Mitski, who sang “This Is A Life” alongside David Byrne for Everything E verywhere All At Once ’s soundtrack. Hsu performed with Byrne at the Oscars. We’ve edited the article to reflect this.

In This Stream

Oscars 2023: winners, surprises, and all the biggest moments.

• Here are all the 2023 Oscar winners

• Speeches by President Bacow

Remarks to the Class of 2023

I suspect many of you are sitting here today, as newly minted Harvard graduates, wondering what the future holds for you. I can relate to that. This is my last Commencement, and I am pondering the same question. Like you, I am contemplating what happens next.

Whatever your dreams are today, I wish for you what you wish for yourself—and I hope that living a meaningful life is high on your list. What do I mean by that?

You have worked extremely hard to earn your Harvard degree, but you are also extremely fortunate to be sitting here today. With education, with good fortune, comes responsibility, and that responsibility includes looking beyond your own success to help others.

No one accomplishes anything in life on their own. At the beginning of this ceremony, I asked you to recognize your friends and families who have supported you, and you did. But you have also received support from countless others. For example, those who pushed and encouraged you, and who may have recognized something in you that you did not recognize in yourself; those who had confidence in you even before you proved yourself worthy of their trust; those who extended themselves to open doors for you. And to all these, you can add the invisible others: those who volunteered their time to create organizations that have been central to your life; those who worked to build institutions that nurtured your capacities, talents, and ambitions; those who helped to sustain and strengthen this great university, which I hope has left its mark on you, and from which you now graduate.

I could go on.

Soon it will be your turn to extend a helping hand and to create hope and opportunity for others. We expect this of you—and more.

I have never met anyone who thinks the world we live in is perfect. This statement is equally true of liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, and those across the political spectrum. So, if you believe this world is imperfect, the only way it will get better is if good people like you work to repair it. This is now your responsibility.

Harvard gave me a great education, but it also raised my expectations for myself. It opened my eyes to what is possible. At my Commencement, I never imagined that someday I would be standing here giving the final remarks at your Commencement. I hope—as you find your way through life—that you will have similarly pleasant surprises.

And now, to all of those who helped me along the path of life, to those who gave me opportunities that I never could have imagined, to those who gave me the extraordinary responsibility and helped me to lead Harvard over these past five years, and those who helped me do so, thank you. And to Adele, my wife of 48 years who has been my partner on this incredible journey and all others, thank you. I love you. Like all of you who are graduating today, I will seek to repay all those who have helped me by trying to help others and to find ways to repair this world.

As I prepare to take my leave, I am reminded of a quotation from a book of wisdom called Ethics of Our Fathers. It is the meditation of a great teacher and scholar. “I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most from my students.”

To the Class of 2023, thank you for teaching me so well. I am grateful to each and every one of you for being a constant source of hope and optimism. Serving as your president has been the privilege of my life. I look forward eagerly to celebrating all that you will do for the world—and all whose lives will be made better by your good work.

To the Class of 2023, thank you, farewell—and Godspeed!

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John Harvard's Journal

The Talk, 2023

July-August 2023

President Lawrence S. Bacow Photograph by Jim Harrison

“Get Out of Your Own Way”

Imparting life lessons to the seniors in his final baccalaureate address, on May 23, President Lawrence S. Bacow drew upon his own experiences in academia.

I learned that a career is only knowable in retrospect.…I came here expecting to be a lawyer. I left here a committed academic. My time as a student helped me understand that there are many ways of knowing and understanding the world beyond the study of law. And my time as president has only reinforced this view. I have spent hundreds of hours talking to faculty and reading their work over the past five years. For me, this has actually been an intellectual feast, in many ways an extension of my time as a graduate student. I hope that Harvard has also stoked your own curiosity, and, like me, you have learned that learning is a lifetime endeavor.…

I learned that regardless of one’s title—even as the president of Harvard—there is no way, no way, that you can know everything. No matter what your position, whether you are in your first job or, like me, your last, it is OK to say, “I don’t know.” And to do so is not a sign that you are weak; it is a sign that you…have the confidence to seek out others who know more than you.…

[D]uring the pandemic, I learned that I needed the advice and counsel of those who knew far more about the complexities of decisions that…were completely foreign to me. I knew nothing about infectious diseases, other than having had a few of them myself. I knew nothing about epidemiology, virology, or public health. Had I made important decisions without the benefit of counsel from those who are experts in these fields, I would have been guilty of presidential malpractice.…

I have learned how important it is to get out of your own way. A little more than five years ago, I was, very happily, a semi-retired university president enjoying my freedom, my life, my privacy, the ability to do things spontaneously….Someone suggested that perhaps I should consider this job. And I literally looked in the mirror—and what did I see? I did not see the president of Harvard. I thought my hair wasn’t gray enough (it’s gotten grayer). I thought my voice was not deep enough. I thought that my presence was not serious enough….And, if I’m really being honest, I thought I just wasn’t tall enough. In short, in my mind, I was not the image of what a Harvard president ought to be.….

Enter Adele, my wife of almost 48 years.…She said, “Just be yourself; and if you do that, you’ll be fine.”…So, once she said that, I actually stopped looking in the mirror, I got out of my own way, and here I am, standing before you—giving you the last advice I will ever give to a Harvard College class again.

“A Notion Favored by Authoritarians”

Phi Beta Kappa Orator Adam Falk, Ph.D. ’91, detailed the context of academic freedom and the First Amendment protections accorded to free speech, and then outlined recent developments in Florida: an attempt to prohibit political science faculty members from testifying in a voting-rights suit; the Stop WOKE Act’s constraints on classroom discussion; and the replacement of several trustees of a public college and the subsequent dismissal of the president. He continued:

The extraordinary claim that lies at the heart of all three of these cases is that the loyalty of faculty must be to the state, and the state may decide what they are permitted to say in the classroom and the courtroom. There is perhaps no idea more antithetical to academic freedom, or to the academy itself. It is certainly a notion favored by history’s authoritarians.

Which brings me back to my father’s story. In January of 1933, Adolf Hitler’s National Socialists were elected as a minority government in Germany. At the time, my father was a young professor at the German School for Politics in Berlin, heading a subunit called the Trade Union School, a three-year course for young trade unionists to study economics, law, and politics. In March, over spring break, he traveled to Austria, and while he was gone, there came the Reichstag fire, the banning of other parties, and the establishment of the dictatorship. My father understood that the Nazis would not allow independent academic institutions to persist, that in fact the notion of an independent academic institution was anathema to their conception of the role of the state in society. He never returned to Germany. And by the end of 1933, Joseph Goebbels—Hitler’s newly appointed Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda—had purged and Nazified the German School for Politics. The only faculty who remained were those who were prepared to serve as voices of the Nazi state.

My father’s story is a chilling reminder of the importance of academic freedom and a reminder that the destruction of a society’s political freedoms often starts by targeting the universities. Academia, as an institution, is a bulwark against the idea that the state can decide what is acceptable to say, write, and even think.

“The Attack upon Educators”

Ruth Simmons, Ph.D. ’73, LL.D.’02—another educator—sought to support the teachers and superintendents of the future during her Graduate School of Education class day speech on May 24.

As those committed to leveling the playing field, we find ourselves under attack for the basic tenet that…everyone should have access to learning that enables them to live better and more fulfilling lives. More and more, public figures feel secure in advocating for an end to the ideal of equal access. The principle that providing for those least able to advocate for themselves makes us stronger as a nation has given way, it seems, to the thought that only certain elites should avail themselves of the best that we can provide. The contempt for and inhumane treatment of vulnerable populations has garnered a surprising degree of support, making it challenging to secure the funding needed to educate those populations.

The attack upon educators is a means to achieving fundamentally base aims.…The way to upend the influence of educators is to call into question their qualifications to play such an important role. Parents, religious groups, and public officials, they argue, should have the strongest voice in shaping the education of young people. While debate is healthy and the involvement of communities in the educational mix is welcome, undermining the most knowledgeable and expert educators in the task of building learning communities is misguided and unwise.

Recalling the teachers and educators who helped her overcome the “dystopian” experience of growing up in the Jim Crow South, she continued:

I am amazed even today to recall how hopeful they seemed in the face of overwhelming circumstances. As a lifelong educator, I can understand how their calling imbued in them a hopefulness that could not be stanched by signs of danger ahead. Those of us drawn to education invariably believe that by assuring people’s ability to evolve through learning, we will always have a way out of madness. We believe that by enlightening others, we have an opportunity to shape a common understanding of our humanity.

“Truth, Justice, and the American Way”

From the Commencement address by Tom Hanks, Ar. D. ’23 :

[W]e’d like to look up in the sky and see not a bird, not a plane, but, well, someone who’s young, strong, and super, who’ll fight the never-ending battle for Truth, for Justice, and for the American way—someone who will take on that work.…

That work is the keeping of the promises of our promised land, the practice of decency, the protection of freedom, and the promotion of liberty for all—with no exceptions.…The American Way can be exampled when you respect the law and the rights of all, because if you don’t, who will? When your food is brought to you and you thank the server, because if you don’t, who will? When you pick up the litter that missed the recycling bin, because if you don’t, who will? When you vote your conscience and make sure your neighbor has the opportunity to do the same with theirs, because if you don’t, who will? When you make good on your victories and learn from your losses, because if you don’t, who will?

…[But] Indifference will rust away the promise of our promised land. Propaganda and Bald-faced Lies will erode over time. Idolatry and Imagery lose luster and effect over time. Ignorance and Intolerance can be replaced by experience in the wink of an eye. But Indifference will narrow the vision of America’s people and make dim the light of Lady Liberty’s symbolic torch. Indifference makes citizens into indentured servants held in labor by the despots and tyrants…surging into the vacuum caused by the Indifference of a people who have been made weary by struggle, so weary that they lose hope and are left to yearn to be saved by the fiction of superheroes.

Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made, the same option for all grownups: to be one of three types of Americans—those who embrace liberty and freedom for all , those who won’t, or those who are indifferent. Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible. The rest just get in the way. In the never-ending battle you have all officially joined as of today, the difference is in how truly you believe, in how vociferously you promote, in how tightly you hold to the Truth that is self-evident—that of course we are all created equally yet differently, and of course we are all in this together. If we do the work together, Justice and the American way are within our grasp no matter our gender, our faith, our station, our heritage, our genetic makeup, the shade and hue of our flesh, or the continental birthplace of our ancestors. Why is that truth so hard for some to accept—much less respect? If you live in the United States of America, the responsibility is yours, ours. The effort is optional.…None of us are super…we are all but human.

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The Top Graduation Speeches Of 2023

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Former IBM Corp. CEO Ginni Rometty

As the Class of 2023 crossed the finish line this year, a number of remarkable commencement speakers took to the stage to impart some words of wisdom.

MBA Chic recently highlighted a few of the best commencement speeches of 2023.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: GINNI ROMETTY, FORMER CHAIR / CEO OF IBM

Ginni Rometty is the ninth Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM, where she’s transformed the 100-year-old company by reinventing 50% of its portfolio, building a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and establishing IBM’s leadership in AI and quantum computing.

In her speech to Loyola Marymount University’s MBA Class of 2023, Rometty spoke of the importance of “good power.”

“Even when you have little else, you always have the power to define who you are,” Rometty says. “Never let anyone else define who you are. It has served me well, and I hope it serves you well. No matter how much you go out and succeed, I guarantee you there will always be situations or people who try to derail you from who you want to be.”

EMORY UNIVERSITY: ANTHONY RAY HINTON, ACTIVIST, WRITER AND JUSTICE ADVOCATE

Anthony Ray Hinton is an activist, writer, and justice advocate. In 1986, Hinton was wrongfully convicted of the death sentence over crimes he didn’t commit. He spent 30 years in jail before the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a nonprofit organization, helped secure his freedom. Hinton’s 2018 bestselling book “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” illustrates a story of hope, forgiveness, and truth-seeking.

In his commencement speech to Emory grads, Hinton stressed the importance of compassion and forgiveness.

“I challenge you to be great human beings,” Hinton says. “I challenge you to bring what is already inside of you. What is in you is understanding; what is in you is compassion; what is in you is forgiveness; what is in you is love. When I was on death row, I realized all of those things [were] inside of me.”

WHARTON SCHOOL: LARA ABRASH, CHAIR OF THE BOARD, DELOITTE US

Lara Abrash is the Chair of the Board of Deloitte US, where she is responsible for leading the board of directors, governing all aspects of the organization.

Abrash, who received her own MBA 30 years ago, spoke about important role models in her life and how they’ve helped shape her journey.

“Today is special because it’s the day before Mother’s Day,” she tells Wharton’s Class of 2023. “My mom has played a very, very important role in my life. My mom graduated from high school in the 1940s. At that time, her parents told her she had two choices. She could either go get a vocational degree to be a nurse or a secretary or she could go find a husband who would take care of her. My mom went on to get married (she’s not married to him anymore), and had four children. Three boys, and myself, and during her life, that inability to have her choice was in her head every single day. She was a part of a movement in the 1960s, we’re feeling a similar movement now, where women were seeking new heights. We talk a lot about examples and you want to tell people what to do, how to live their lives, but the best examples come from how you show them what to do. I saw my mom work multiple jobs every day. I saw my mom participate in political movements, women’s marches, stuffing envelopes for Geraldine Ferraro when she was up to be the first female Vice President. But the most impressive thing my mom did, when along the way she kept telling me, ‘you can be anything you want baby,’ was about the same time I graduated from college, my mom put herself back to school and got her college degree and we did it together.”

To read about graduation speeches at Dartmouth Tuck, Columbia Business School, and Babson Olin, click here .

Sources: MBA Chic , Loyola Marymount University , Emory University , Wharton School

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Best speeches of 2023 — The Speakolies awarded on Triple R

For the last six years i've nominated best speeches of the year on dylan and kulya's 'the grapevine'. this year, it was just dylan and me..

This is the most coveted jpeg in all speechmaking. In recent years, the gold has become so glittery that we’ve considered upgrading it to a TIFF. I think the actual history of the trophy is that I was awarded it as part of a winning comedy debate team at the Geelong Non Fiction Festival a few years ago. I then photographed my sparkly plastic microphone,…

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12 Best Acceptance Speeches of the 2023 Awards Season (VIDEO)

There should probably be an awards show for acceptance speeches, given how much this year’s winners moved us with their remarks… and then made us laugh through our tears!

And some of the best speeches this year came from actors who got long-overdue wins late in their careers — think Jennifer Coolidge , Ke Huy Quan , and Brendan Fraser — because filmmakers and TV creators gave them another moment in the spotlight. (Like Lady Gaga so often said in her speeches and interviews, “There can be a hundred people in the room, and 99 don’t believe in you, but one does…”)

Here, in chronological order, are our picks for the best acceptance speeches from the Oscars , Golden Globes , SAG Awards , Indie Spirit Awards , and Critics Choice Awards .

Jennifer Coolidge at the Golden Globes

Accepting her Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television trophy for her performance in The White Lotus — and then setting it down because it was too heavy — Coolidge thanked the people who kept her career alive, even after she realized she wasn’t going to become “queen of Monaco.” And she gave high praise to Mike White , bringing the White Lotus creator to tears.

Michelle Yeoh at the Golden Globes

Michelle Yeoh , this year’s Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy winner, told the Globes audience that she thought she had a “good run” in Hollywood… and then Everything Everywhere All at Once came along. And when the exit music faded in, she refused to be played off the stage. “Shut up, please,” she quipped. “I can beat you up, OK? And that’s serious.”

Angela Bassett at the Golden Globes

Claiming the trophy for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , Angela Bassett acknowledged her colleagues’ grief and solace around the death of actor Chadwick Boseman . “Weeping may come in the evening, but joy comes in the morning,” she said. “We embarked on this journey together with love. We mourned, we loved, and we healed.”

Ryan Murphy at the Golden Globes

Ryan Murphy , this year’s Carol Burnett Award winner, devoted his stage time to praising some LGBTQ actors in his repertory — commending Billy Porter , Niecy Nash , Matt Bomer , and Jeremy Pope , and giving Michaela Jaé Rodriguez an overdue ovation — to show young viewers that queer and trans success is attainable. “I offer up M.J. and Billy and Niecy and Jeremy as examples of possibility,” he said.

Janelle Monáe at the Critics Choice Awards

Accepting the SeeHer Award at the Critics Choice Awards, Janelle Monáe said that their pronouns are “she/her, they/them, and free-ass motherf**ker.” The Glass Onion actor also recalled that they were supported by loved ones when they couldn’t see their own light. “So to anyone out there like me watching right now, I want you to know that I see you, but I challenge you to see you,” they said.

Brendan Fraser at the SAG Awards

Brendan Frasier said that Ian McKellen’s acceptance-speech advice was to “be good, be brief, and be seated.” And his speech was so good, we’re glad it wasn’t brief. The 2023 SAG Award winner for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role observed that his character in The Whale is “on a raft of regrets, but he’s in a sea of hope,” and he could relate. “But believe me, if you just stay in there, and you put one foot in front of the other, you’ll get to where you need to go,” the actor added.

Ke Huy Quan at the SAG Awards

Ke Huy Quan’s awards-season sweep was a victory lap for an actor who got a star-remaking turn in Everything Everywhere All at Once decades after his time as a child star. As he accepted the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role trophy at the SAG Awards, he said, “To all those at home who are watching, who are struggling and waiting to be seen, please keep on going, because the spotlight will one day find you.”

Everything Everywhere All at Once cast at the SAG Awards

The sight of 94-year-old actor James Hong busting a move on stage vaults the Everything Everywhere All at Once cast’s Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture acceptance speech onto this list. Hong also recalled how white actors played Asian characters in the 1937 film The Good Earth  because a producer was worried Asian actors wouldn’t be good enough or commercially viable. “But look at us now, huh?” he said.

Stephanie Hsu at the Film Independent Spirit Awards

In her acceptance speech for Best Breakthrough Performance, Everything Everywhere All at Once star Stephanie Hsu spoke about how artistic communities — whether they be experimental theater troupes or independent film productions — can make something out of nothing and make a difference. “I hope I get to take this today less as an award, as a symbol of winning, but I hope that this can protect me in this moment of breaking through, that it can act as a talisman to protect that freak flag, that desire to help make and to offer stories that help us grow as a society and community in the best way that we don’t know how,” she said.

Quinta Brunson at the Film Independent Spirit Awards

In her acceptance speech for Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series, Abbott Elementary ’s Quinta Brunson mentioned that she started out making Instagram videos. “So I do want to dedicate this award to whatever kid out there right now is making a video on TikTok,” she said, “If you care about it enough, and you respect the craft, and the craft is important to you, and you believe in it, and you study it … I hope that you know that with enough care for your craft, you can make it to win an award.”

The Daniels at the Academy Awards

Everything Everywhere All at Once ’s Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert shared a rare joint Best Director win at this year’s Oscars, and they both spoke to the power of creativity — including “dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody ,” as Scheinert said. Kwan also sent a grounding message to his son: “You should never have to live up to this standard. This is not normal. This is kind of crazy. I will love you no matter what.”

Guillermo del Toro at the Academy Awards

This Pinocchio director didn’t lie! As he and his collaborators on the film accepted the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, Guillermo del Toro said, “Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre. And animation is ready to be taken to the next step. We are all ready for it. Please help us keep animation in the conversation.”

Critics Choice Awards

Film independent spirit awards, golden globe awards, screen actors guild awards, angela bassett, brendan fraser, daniel kwan, daniel scheinert, guillermo del toro, janelle monáe, jennifer coolidge, ke huy quan, michelle yeoh, quinta brunson, ryan murphy, stephanie hsu.

The Most Inspiring Graduation Day Speeches of 2023

Some of the happiest moments of spring each year are at graduation ceremonies. We really love hearing the moving speeches that come along with them.  We’ve compiled a list of the best and most inspiring graduation day speeches and commencement speaker quotes from celebrities, students and others in 2023. These are the words we’re taking to heart.

the most inspiring speeches from graduation day in 2023

We never stop needing good advice. In fact, though words of wisdom are often aimed at younger generations, we find ourselves more in need of them the older we get; the more trials and tribulations we endure in life, the more desperate we are for some expert guidance. And who better to look to for this guidance than some of the human beings we admire most?

That’s why we love commencement season. Though these inspirational speeches may be intended for an audience of young adults, bravely taking their first steps after university, we all have a thing or two we can learn from them.

The best and most inspiring graduation day speeches and commencement speaker quotes from celebrities, students and others in 2023.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our favorite commencement speeches from 2023. Some of these speeches focus on the personal – on how to approach life’s hardest decisions – while others zoom out to look at the bigger picture. At how we can work together to make the world a better place.

We never stop needing good advice, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you find yourself in need of guidance, here are ten 2023 commencement speeches to watch.

1. Tom Hanks at Harvard University

This year, the 2023 Harvard University graduates were lucky enough to share their special day with the one and only Tom Hanks. The Oscar winner’s speech was as delightful as one might expect – the perfect mix of comedy, and a more serious call to action. Using superheroes – and our culture’s obsession with them – as a motif, Hanks encouraged these new adults to become heroes themselves.

“If you don’t,” he said, when reminding the graduates to stand up for “the promises of our promised land,” such as “the practice of decency, the protection of freedom, and the promotion of liberty for all with no exceptions” – “who will”? In other words, we should all walk through the world with the feeling that change is up to us; that a better future depends on our very own actions. This is good advice for twenty-two-year-olds, and good advice for the rest of us, too.

2. Michelle Yeoh at Harvard Law School

Though we might usually refrain from including two speeches at one university, we had to make an exception for the woman of the year, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. Though Yeoh herself points out that she is not a lawyer (and hasn’t even played one in a movie) her brilliant words are the perfect match for this brilliant cohort.

“Limitations set by yourself give you boundaries to respect,” Yeoh said. “But limitations set by others give you boundaries to bust through.” This seems like a wise distinction for all of us to learn, and for law school graduates in particular.

Yeoh also encouraged the audience to stay open to the ways life might surprise them, and to surround themselves always with community.

3. Lena Waithe at Barnard College

We’ve been longtime fans of actress and Emmy Award-winning writer Lena Waithe, and so it was a pleasure getting to hear her address the 2023 graduates of Barnard College. Waithe focused her speech around a topic that was sure to be on the minds of many graduates: success. And its often-daunting counterpart, failure.

“Some people think if you find success, you find happiness,” Waithe said. “Those two things aren’t always mutually exclusive.” It’s not that success does not beget happiness, Waithe argues – because it often does – but rather that success is not a permanent state. Any rise is usually followed by a fall.

Waithe encouraged the graduates not to let a fear of failure stop them from striving for success – and to not worry so much about what other people think.   “People aren’t meant to live on pedestals,” she said. “I’d rather you be disliked by some, for being yourself, than be liked by everybody for being a person that doesn’t even exist.” This is something we all need to remember.

4. President Biden at Howard University

Of course, we are always going to be alert to the commencement address given by the President. After all, who is in a better position to provide expert advice?

The President delivered an impassioned speech to Howard graduates, reminding the crowd that in the fight against the domestic terrorism of white supremacy, “silence is complicity.” The graduates of 2023 already know that they have their work cut out for them, but the President offered them words of encouragement.

“Class of 2023, you’re the reason I’m so optimistic about the future,” he said. “You’re part of the most gifted, tolerant, talented, best-educated generation in American history.” Later, he went on to say, “You represent the best of us.”

And though these words may sound more like an affirmation than anything else, there is a call to action imbedded in the message. While they begin their journeys through adulthood, 2023 graduates cannot forget the bigger picture – cannot forget their duty to change the world. As the President said at the very end of his speech, “We need you.”

5. President Volodymyr Zelensky at Johns Hopkins University

The grads of Johns Hopkins University also got to spend their commencement ceremony with a President – the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to NPR , Zelensky’s livestreamed speech came as a surprise, and received a standing ovation.

The focus of his speech? Time. “Time is the most valuable resource on the planet,” Zelensky said. “Some people realize this sooner. Others realize it too late, when they lose someone or something. People cannot avoid it.”

It will not come as a surprise that the President of Ukraine had such sober words to share, but they are also valuable words for any person in their early twenties. At the moment of graduation, time may feel unlimited – even too much so – but it should never be taken for granted.

6. Oprah Winfrey at Tennessee State University

There are no public figures as iconic as Oprah, and therefore no one whose advice we’d rather hear. This year, Winfrey shared her some of her wisdom with her alma mater, Tennessee State University.

Like others, she acknowledged the difficulties that the class of 2023 will face – or is already facing.

“You are a generation that is forced to depend on body cams to obtain justice. You’ve witnessed the storming of the capitol and the death of civility,” she said. She listed other ways this generation has witnessing systemic oppression and violence, including the obliteration of reproductive rights and legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community.

But she also reminded the graduates that they can make a difference, and urged them to do so. “You start by being good to at least one other person every single day,” she said. “Just start there. That’s how you begin to change the world.” It may sound easy, but if we all can do it – maybe the world really will start to change.

7. Elizabeth Alexander at Yale University

Poet, professor, and playwright extraordinaire Elizabeth Alexander delivered a remarkable commencement speech at her alma mater, Yale University. Though we suggest watching the speech in its entirety, these are a few gems Alexander shared towards the end of her speech:

“Be an autodidact. Push past where your knowledge stops. Keep reading, keep asking questions, keep seeking out new ideas, new experiences, new perspectives – forever.”

Words that every person should hold close.

8. Ken Jeong at Cornell University

At Cornell University’s commencement, Ken Jeong dispensed some expert wisdom. “There are two types of decision making in life,” he said. “Fear-based decision making, and decisions made out of love.”

He told a story about his own journey, where fear-based decision-making led him to medical school, rather than his current career in the arts. Though everything obviously worked out okay in the end, this anecdote provides graduates with an important cautionary tale – whenever possible, don’t let fear lead you in the wrong direction.

9. Kevin Feige at University of Southern California

It’s hard to deny the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe dominates our zeitgeist for better or perhaps, at times, for worse. Nonetheless, we were interested to hear the commencement address from Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios.

“Remember what Tony Stark was able to do in a cave with a box of scraps,” he said. “Remember, a good story always moves forward, and that requires action. Success comes from doing. It comes from trying new things, by taking risks, by leading with yes instead of no. That’s one of the defining traits of the superheroes in our movies.”

However you may feel about Marvel and its heroes, this is solid advice. If you’re ever unsure of what to do next, saying yes is usually a good place start.

10. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson at American University and Boston University

Though it’s not a competition, if we had to pick our favorite commencement speeches of the year, we might very well choose the ones given by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson addressed the law schools of both American University and Boston University and gave not one, but two epic and epically memorable speeches.

As well as offering some sparkling pearls of wisdom – such as “make the most of the resources you have” and learn to exist “both in community and in conflict” – Jackson shared two of the most enjoyable speeches of the month: one centered around the reality show Survivor , and the other centered around musical theater. Jackson explains she is a big fan of both. Both speeches are a joy, and their pop culture themes make it easy to absorb Jackson’s shrewd suggestions.

best graduation speeches of 2023

The best and most inspiring graduation day speeches and commencement speaker quotes from celebrities, students and others in 2023. Congratulations to all the high school and college graduates this year!

Abbie Martin Greenbaum

Abbie Martin Greenbaum is a writer, reader, and pop culture connoisseur, who loves storytelling, coffee, and dessert. Her work has also appeared in Playbill.

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The Best Moments at the 2023 Golden Globes

From Michelle Yeoh's acceptance speech to Rihanna's appearance, here's what you missed at the first awards show of 2023.

Here were T&C' s five favorite moments of the 2023 Golden Globes.

1. Michelle Yeoh's entire acceptance speech

Our September 2022 cover star Michelle Yeoh had the best speech of the night when she won for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Yeoh began, "I’m just going to stand here and take this all in. Forty years, not letting go of this."

She started to speak about her career, "As time went by — I turned 60 last year. And I think all of you women understand this as the days, the years, and the numbers get bigger, it seems like opportunities start to get smaller as well... Then along came the best gift, Everything Everywhere All at Once ."

As music started to play Yeoh her off, she said to the piano player, "Shut up, please. I can beat you up." She thanked her co-stars and directors the Daniels (a.k.a. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), before ending, "This is also for all the shoulders that I stand on, all who came before me who looks like me, and all who are going on this journey with me forward. So thank you for believing in us. Thank you. Thank you so much."

2. Ke Huy Quan's emotional speech

Yoeh's costar, Ke Huy Quan, also gave a beautiful speech, kicking off the evening. Quan said, "When I started my career as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , I felt so very lucky to have been chosen. As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it, if that was just luck. For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer. No matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid."

He continued, "Thankfully more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid, and they gave me an opportunity to try again. Everything that has happened since has been unbelievable."

2. The Banshees of Inisherin 's Jenny the Donkey gets major shoutouts

Colin Farell won Best Actor in a Musical Comedy for his role in dark Irish comedy The Banshees of Inisherin . "To work on this film, I never expect films to work or to find an audience and when they do, it's shocking to me," Farrell said. "I'm horrified by what's happened around Banshees over the last couple of months, in a thrilling kind of way."

A highlight of his speech? His shoutout to co-star Jenny the donkey. "Lastly, Jenny the donkey who is having an early retirement because fuck the the film business!" Farrell said. (In an earlier interview, Farrell joked to Empire "Jenny was tricky. It was her first film, but she acted like it was her 100th. She was kind of over it. Kind of jaded.")

Later in the evening, when Martin McDonagh won for Best Screenplay, he, too, thanked Jenny the donkey (and Minnie the horse), beginning his speech talking about her. "I was hoping Jenny might have been nominated tonight, but she’s a female donkey and it’s the Globes, so..." he jokes.

3. Rihanna appears!

After skipping the red carpet, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky quietly snuck into the ceremony ahead of the Best Original Song category. (Rihanna lost to RRR smash "Naatu Naatu.") Yet, Rihanna is Rihanna and her appearance—her first major event since the Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever red carpet in October—is definitely noteworthy.

Rihanna wore a custom Schiaparelli gown and jewelry from Cartier and Reza , and though she wasn't on the carpet, she absolutely made our best dressed list. She is set to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show in just under a month.

4. Jerrod Carmichael's outfit changes

Host Jerrod Carmichael wore not one, not two, but seven different looks throughout the course of the evening. And he looked fantastic in all of them.

Never let them tell you men's fashion is boring.

5. Jennifer Coolidge, queen of Monaco, thanks Mike White, who gets emotional and drunk

The White Lotus star had two speeches during the evening—during a presentation of an award, and during her acceptance speech. Both were rambling and wonderful, full of little tidbits and Coolidge's clear joy at the evening and gratitude to Mike White.

In her acceptance speech, she talks about thinking she was going to be Queen of Monaco (Monaco has no queen, only a reigning prince and princess: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene), and how her neighbors are talking to her again.

Though she may not be in season three of The White Lotus , she is definitely having her moment now.

When Mike White appeared, he shared he was too drunk to give his speech in Italian—and so emotional over Jennifer Coolidge's speech, so it was brief and funny. He told the audience, "I know you all passed on this show so it's very gratifying to have this moment." Go Mike White!

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

• Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
• Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
• Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
• Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
• Should we limit screen time for children?
• Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
• Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
• Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
• Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
• Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
• Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
• Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
• Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
• Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
• Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

• Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
• Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
• Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
• Is capitalism the best economic system?
• Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
• Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
• Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
• Should the government enact a universal base income?
• Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
• Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
• Should US workers have more vacation time?
• Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
• Should we legalize euthanasia?
• Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
• Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
• Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Should we allow the cloning of humans?
• Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
• Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
• Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
• Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
• Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
• Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
• Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
• Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
• Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
• Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
• Should the government provide childcare?
• Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
• Should one parent stay home?
• Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
• Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

• Should social media platforms ban political ads?
• Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
• Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
• Is social media making us more or less social?
• Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
• Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
• Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
• Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
• Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
• Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
• Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
• Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
• Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

• Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
• Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
• Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
• Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
• Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
• Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
• Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
• Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
• Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
• Should grading on a curve be allowed?
• Should graphic novels be considered literature?
• Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
• Should colleges pay student athletes?
• Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
• Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
• Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
• Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
• Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
• Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
• Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
• In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
• Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
• Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
• Should the FDA ban GMOs?
• Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
• Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
• Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
• Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
• Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

• College education: should the government make it free for all?
• Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
• Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
• Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
• Does cancel culture impede free speech?
• Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
• Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
• Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
• Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
• Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
• Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
• Should there be a statute of limitations?
• Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

• Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
• Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
• Should the US establish a national gun registry?
• Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
• Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
• Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
• Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
• Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
• Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
• Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
• Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
• Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should schools have uniforms?
• Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
• Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
• Should companies implement a four-day work week?
• Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
• Should the school day start later?
• Is homework an effective teaching tool?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
• Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should we allow pets to run for public office?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
• Is procrastination the key to success?
• Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
• The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
• Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
• Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
• Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

• Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
• Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
• Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
• Should parents let children choose their own names?
• Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
• Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
• Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
• Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
• Should calories be printed on menus?
• Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
• When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
• Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
• Should commercial fishing be banned?
• Are cemeteries sustainable?
• Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

• Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
• Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
• Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
• Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

• Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
• Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
• Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
• Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
• Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?
• Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
• Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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The 24 Best Motivational Speeches Our Employees Have Ever Heard

Published: July 19, 2023

It was halftime during one of my 7th-grade football games. And we were losing 14 - 0. With our knees planted in the grass, my team was quietly huddled, drenched in sweat and defeat. Suddenly, it was game over.

That's when our assistant coach burst into our circle and shattered our pity party, delivering one of the best motivational speeches I've heard to this day.

I can't directly quote him because he said some inappropriate things for a blog post (and, in hindsight, probably for a bunch of 13-year-olds too).

The point is he harnessed the power of words to rejuvenate a physically and emotionally drained team. And we came back clawing to win the game.

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Motivational Speech

A motivational speech can come from anywhere or anyone, but it usually has a specific audience in mind.

Whether it's a graduation speech, an all-company meeting, a championship sporting event, or a conference keynote, these speeches are designed to change how their listeners see the challenges facing them in the future.

Like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important meeting, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance.

Think about the last time you felt generally unmotivated. What brought you out of that feeling? Sometimes all it takes to get you going is a good night's sleep or witnessing the benefits of your labor.

Still, other times, you might listen to someone say something that resonates with you — that alters how you've been looking at a particular task or problem.

Motivational speeches and speakers can come in all different forms, but this is the one thing they have in common — resonance. They resonate with the right listener at the right time and in the right way.

Who knows, this article is doing some for you right now. (I can dream, can't I?)

We selected 24 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and other fields to help you stay motivated no matter what your work throws at you. Watch these videos if you want to feel inspired by a project.

Trust me, I was wiping my eyes after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they can put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.

(Disclaimer: Some speeches may contain NSFW language.)

Elon Musk: "The Importance of Never Giving Up" (2020)

Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)

Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)

Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)

J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)

Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)

Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)

Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)

David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)

Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)

Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)

Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)

Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)

Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time

1. elon musk: "the importance of never giving up" (2020), theme of speech: perseverance and resilience.

Elon Musk's "The Importance of Never Giving Up" speech about perseverance and determination is decisive.

In this speech, Musk emphasizes failing and learning from failures as keys to success. He recounts his life and career, demonstrating how he overcame challenges.

One key takeaway from Musk's speech is his advice to adopt a growth mindset.

Musk encourages listeners to view setbacks as learning experiences. He also highlights the value of perseverance, persistence, and taking risks.

Elon Musk's word serves as an upbeat reminder that perseverance, patience, and the desire to attempt things repeatedly in the face of difficulty are essential for success.

"If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it."

2. Angela Ahrendts: "Leading with Empathy" (2023)

Theme of the speech: empathetic leadership....

The "Leading with Empathy" talk by Angela Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and compassion in leadership.

According to Ahrendts, leaders must view their employees as whole people with lives outside of work. Leaders can instill trust, respect, and mutual support in their employees and organizations.

Ahrendts emphasizes the importance of team mission as well. Leaders can inspire their teams by connecting them to a greater goal.

She believes that working together fosters creativity, innovation, and growth.

"Leading with Empathy" is a powerful reminder that leadership requires more than technical knowledge. To truly inspire and motivate their employees, leaders must understand their emotional needs and create a supportive, inclusive environment.

"Empathy is the glue that holds relationships together, whether they are personal or professional."

3. Arianna Huffington: "The Power of Sleep" (2023)

Theme of the speech: sleep and productivity.

The Huffington Post's founder, Arianna Huffington, emphasized the importance of sleep to overall health. In her 2023 speech, "The Power of Sleep," she discusses how sleep deprivation affects our health, productivity, and happiness.

Huffington observes that we have been taught to sacrifice sleep for success. She also mentions that well-rested employees are more creative, efficient, and effective.

To address these issues, Huffington proposes a cultural shift that recognizes sleep as essential to health and wellness.

She advises individuals and organizations to prioritize sleep, avoid technology before bedtime, and create a restful sleep environment. Sleep, according to Huffington, is a necessity, not a luxury.

By recognizing the importance of sleep, people and businesses can enhance their health, productivity, and general well-being.

Arianna Huffington's "The Power of Sleep" speech in 2023 emphasizes the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation.

It promotes a culture where getting enough sleep is essential for health and well-being.

"Sleep is the Swiss Army knife of health, it does everything."

4. Tim Cook: "Inclusion and Diversity" (2023)

Theme of the speech: inclusion and diversity.

Apple CEO Tim Cook advocates for inclusion and diversity. He has been instrumental in the company's initiatives to advance fairness and equality inside its ranks and across the technology sector.

Cook has prioritized diversity and inclusion at Apple because he believes it is proper and necessary for innovation and business success.

Unconscious bias training, diverse recruitment, and employee resource groups contributed to his success.

Outside of Apple, Cook has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights and immigration reform. He has raised awareness of these issues and advocated for social change as a business leader.

Tech leaders and others have lauded Cook's commitment to diversity and inclusion. He has raised awareness of these issues, leading to significant change at Apple and elsewhere.

"Inclusion and diversity are not just buzzwords, they are fundamental values that drive innovation and creativity."

5. J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Theme of speech: failure.

In J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement speech, the Harry Potter author explored how two phenomena -- failure and imagination -- can be crucial to success.

While failure can help you understand where your true passion lies, and where you should focus your energy moving forward, imagination is what will allow you to empathize with other people so you can use your influence to do good.

“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

"You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don't do things because I do them or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it."

6. Sheryl Sandberg: "Lean In" (2021)

Theme of the speech: gender equality and leadership.

Sheryl Sandberg's 2021 talk, "Lean In," encourages women to lean into their careers and leadership roles. She urges women to stand up for one another and themselves to overcome societal and cultural hurdles.

Sandberg highlights the need to have distinct objectives and goals and be prepared to take calculated risks to achieve them.

She also underlines how crucial it is for more female leaders to advance diversity and gender equality across all industries.

Sandberg's speech also emphasizes collaboration. She urges women to mentor other women and look for sponsors and mentors themselves.

The "Lean In" talk by Sheryl Sandberg emphasizes women's voices and perspectives in all aspects of society.

To remove barriers and foster more inclusive and varied workplaces and communities, Sandberg urges women to pursue their professional ambitions with confidence and with the help of their communities.

"We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored."

7. Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Theme of speech: taking risks.

Jim Carrey might make a living as the goofiest comedian around, but in 2014, he combined classic Carrey humor with unforgettable insight at Maharishi University of Management's graduation ceremony.

Jim Carrey opened his speech dishing punchlines, but he eventually opened up about his upbringing and the role fear plays in our lives. You can actually hear the amazement in the students' reactions in the video above.

“I learned many great lessons from my father -- not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

8. Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Theme of speech: life and career.

Considering the YouTube video of Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech has 24 million views, it's likely that you've seen this one already.

In the speech, Jobs plays on two themes: connecting the dots (anecdote: how taking a calligraphy class helped inspire the design of the Mac) and love & loss (anecdote: how getting fired from Apple helped inspire his greatest innovations).

Perhaps the most memorable part his speech comes at the end, when he quotes the (now-famous) lines from the final issue of his favorite publication, The Whole Earth Catalog:

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

9. Matthew McConaughey: "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2022)

Theme of the speech: discovering true happiness and fulfillment in life..

In "The Pursuit of Happiness," famed actor and motivational speaker Matthew McConaughey provides his enlightened viewpoint on obtaining true happiness and fulfillment.

McConaughey presents a genuine and approachable study of what it means to live a fulfilling life through sincere storytelling and personal anecdotes.

The speech discusses the significance of authenticity and remaining true to oneself. McConaughey encourages people to define their success rather than succumb to social pressures or external expectations.

He stresses aligning our behaviors and decisions with our fundamental values and passions.

McConaughey expresses his conviction in the power of thankfulness and the importance of living in the present moment. He encourages people to create a grateful mindset, recognizing the blessings and possibilities surrounding them.

By appreciating the present and finding joy in the journey, individuals can experience more profound happiness and fulfillment.

"Happiness is not a destination. It's a state of mind, a journey, and a choice we make every day."

10. Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

In his 2011 UPenn commencement speech, Denzel Washington highlighted three reasons why we need to embrace failure in order to be successful. First, everybody will fail at something at some point, so you better get used to it.

Second, if you never fail, take that as a sign that you're not really trying. And third, at the end of the day, failure will help you figure out what path you want to be on.

“Fall forward. Here's what I mean: Reggie Jackson struck out twenty-six-hundred times in his career — the most in the history of baseball. But you don't hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs.

Fall forward.

Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn't know that—because #1,001 was the light bulb. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.”

11. Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Theme of speech: perseverance.

Last year at INBOUND, Vera Jones told a moving story about the life lessons she's learned from raising her blind son.

She explains how having faith in your future and letting it lead you toward your true purpose will help you overcome blinding obstacles.

She also discusses how following your passion and trusting your vision develops empathy, which is a critical leadership skill.

“Passionately play your position no matter how bad things get. You are significant. Why we are here is not for our own glory. Ultimately, we're here to lead and serve everybody else. By doing that, we encourage others to do the same.”

12. Oprah Winfrey: "The Power of Self-Belief" (2020)

Theme of Speech: Self-Belief and Confidence

Oprah Winfrey's 2020 speech "The Power of Self-Belief" emphasized the importance of self-assurance. She attributed her success to her unwavering self-assurance.

According to Oprah, self-belief is not about being arrogant or overconfident. She stresses the significance of overcoming self-doubt and fear, which can prevent people from reaching their goals.

Oprah used personal stories to demonstrate how self-confidence has aided her in life and work. She encouraged her audience to believe in themselves and to embrace their inner strength.

The Power of Self-Belief" reminded us how important it is to have faith in ourselves and our ability to succeed.

"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams."

13. Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Best known for his role in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, actor Charlie Day had lots of wisdom to share during the 2014 commencement speech at his alma mater, Merrimack College.

Day explained to the audience how college degrees are inherently valueless, since you can't trade them in for cash. Instead, it's you, your hard work, and the risks you take that provide real value in life.

“You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure.

You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks.”

14. Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

The video above is an animated excerpt from researcher Brené Brown's speech, " The Power of Vulnerability ." In the speech, Brown explores how our fear of not being good enough (among other fears) drives us to shield ourselves from our own vulnerabilities.

The alternative to wearing this emotional suit of armor: Embrace vulnerability through empathizing with others.

"Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice. Because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling."

15. Kobe Bryant: “The Path to Greatness" (2020)

Theme of the speech: embracing dedication, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of greatness..

Bryant emphasizes setting ambitious goals and working tirelessly to achieve them. Through captivating storytelling and personal anecdotes, he reveals the sacrifices and relentless effort required to excel at the highest level.

Bryant's speech is a testament to the power of hard work, discipline, and a growth mindset in attaining greatness.

The speech also explores embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. Bryant shares how setbacks and challenges can fuel personal growth and resilience.

He encourages individuals to embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as motivation to push beyond their limits.

Bryant's speech goes beyond the realm of sports, offering valuable insights and life lessons applicable to all areas of life.

His relentless pursuit of greatness and unwavering commitment to excellence inspires individuals striving to achieve their goals and dreams.

"I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.'

We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it."

16. David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

From the opening minutes of David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech , in which he questions commencement speech conventions, it's clear that Wallace has some serious wisdom to share.

The crux of his speech: Many of us are oblivious to our own close-mindedness. We picture ourselves as the centers of our own, individual universes, instead of seeing the bigger, more interconnected picture.

“If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is and who and what is really important, if you want to operate on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable.

But if you've really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you'll know you have other options.

It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer hell-type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred — on fire with the same force that lit the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.”

17. Carol Dweck: "The Growth Mindset" (2020)

Theme of the speech: cultivating a growth mindset for personal and professional development..

In "The Growth Mindset," Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, and author, delivers an enlightening speech on the power of adopting a growth mindset for personal and professional growth.

Dweck's extensive research on mindset and achievement provides the foundation for her impactful message.

Dweck explains the difference between a fixed mindset, where individuals believe their abilities are fixed traits, and a growth mindset, where individuals believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

She demonstrates how a growth mindset fosters resilience, learning, and innovation through relatable stories and compelling examples.

Dweck's speech resonates with individuals seeking personal and professional development, as she provides insights into how adopting a growth mindset can positively impact all areas of life.

Her research-based approach and engaging speaking style make "The Growth Mindset" an inspiring resource for individuals striving for continuous growth and improvement.

"The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset."

Famous Short Speeches With Inspirational Takeaways

18. al pacino: "inch by inch" (1999), theme of speech: teamwork.

Yes, this speech is from a football movie (Any Given Sunday), but trust me: This isn't your stereotypical rah-rah-go-get-'em sports speech. It's deeper than that. It's about life, and loss, and ... gosh darn it just listen to Al Pacino.

He's pouring his soul out!

“Either we heal as a team or we're gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, till we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me.

And we can stay here and get the $&#@ kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time.”

19. Satya Nadella: "Empowering Others" (2023)

Theme of the Speech: Empowerment and Collaboration

Satya Nadella's 2023 lecture, "Empowering Others," emphasizes the importance of leadership that empowers others rather than focusing on personal success.

He emphasizes the importance of leaders cultivating a culture of inclusion and belonging in which everyone feels respected and able to accomplish their best work.

Nadella also discusses the significance of technology in positive development. Some of society's most important issues may be resolved by technology, but proper development and application are required.

According to Nadella, empathy and emotional intelligence are essential for outstanding leadership. He suggests that Leaders listen to and understand. their team members' needs and motivations.

Leaders can develop a culture of trust and collaboration that will help the team flourish.

Satya Nadella's "Empowering Others" provides a special message about leadership in the current day. By emphasizing diversity, empathy, and responsible innovation, Nadella encourages audiences to strive for excellence while being mindful of their impact on others and the world.

"Success is not just about what we achieve individually, but what we enable others to achieve."

20. Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Theme of speech: never give up.

I had to put this one next since it plays along the same themes as Denzel Washington's UPenn speech. In the scene above, from the 2006 film Rocky Balboa, the title character (played by Sylvester Stallone) is having a heart-to-heart with his son.

The advice he gives him: Don't let your failures or the adversity you face slow you down. Keep. Moving. Forward.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.

You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”

21. Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Theme of speech: don’t let them bring you down.

Here's another speech from the big screen, this time from the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness.

In the scene above, Will Smith's character explains to his son why he shouldn't pursue basketball (because he'll end up being "below average") before having a major change of heart.

“Don't ever let somebody tell you ... you can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

22. Mel Robbins: "The 5 Second Rule" (2020)

Theme of the Speech: Action and Overcoming Self-Doubt

The "The 5 Second Rule" speech by Mel Robbins promotes action to achieve goals and overcome concerns and doubts.

When confronted with a decision or action that needs to be completed but you are hesitating or procrastinating, countdown from 5, and then act. According to Robbins, this method breaks habit loops that keep us unhealthy.

Counting down and taking action may assist us in overcoming uncertainty and self-doubt and moving toward our objectives. For success, Robbins also promotes mentality and self-talk.

She believes that to realize our potential, we must consciously reframe negative thoughts and limiting beliefs.

Mel Robbins' presentation "The 5 Second Rule" is a practical and efficient technique to overcome procrastination and achieve goals.

Robbins inspires listeners to take command of their lives and achieve by emphasizing attitude, self-talk, and positive actions.

"You are never going to feel like doing the things that are tough, difficult, or uncertain, but you have a choice."

23. Angela Duckworth: "The Power of Grit" (2020)

Theme of the Speech: Spirit and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth examines the significance of perseverance and resilience in achievement in her book "The Power of Grit." According to Duckworth, grit—passion and determination—is essential for long-term success and overcoming obstacles.

Duckworth addresses grit and mentality, believing that people who view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than threats will develop resilience and determination over time.

She advocates for a growth mindset, which believes people can acquire intelligence and other qualities through hard work. Duckworth places a premium on rigorous practice to achieve skill and mastery.

She recommends soliciting feedback, setting challenging goals, and intentionally improving abilities and succeeding. Angela Duckworth's "The Power of Grit" illuminates long-term achievement.

Duckworth emphasizes attitude, focused practice, and resilience to urge listeners to acquire grit and pursue their passions with tenacity.

"Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality."

24. Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

Theme of speech: inspiring and believing in your team.

The Miracle on Ice is still considered the biggest upset in Olympic hockey history. And for good reason. The Soviet Union won six of the last seven Olympic gold medals, and the U.S. team consisted only of amateur players.

It was obvious the Soviets were better. But, in the movie Miracle, which told the incredible story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Kurt Russell's character — Coach Herb Brooks — knew that this game was different.

The U.S. was better than the Soviets that day. And his speech conveyed such a strong belief in his team that they pulled off one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century.

“If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game… Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can!

Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time.”

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2023 Oscars: Best Moments and Most Emotional Speeches From Hollywood's Biggest Night!

Oscars 2023: all the must-see moments, rachael harris reacts to possible 'suits' and 'lucifer' reboots (exclusive), 'rhobh' star dorit kemsley splits from husband pk after 9 years of marriage, kevin durand on playing villains in 'naked gun' and 'kingdom of the planet of the apes' (exclusive), pedro pascal and dakota johnson kiss while filming 'materialists' in nyc, 'kingdom of the planet of the apes' star peter macon on caesar's 300 year legacy (exclusive), kylie jenner revives 'rise and shine' at met gala, kimberley nix, tiktoker who documented cancer journey, dead at 31, zayn malik says he's never been in love despite gigi hadid and perrie edwards romances, benjamin bratt shares his secret to being ripped at 60 (exclusive), miss usa resignations: everything we know about the pageant shocks, ‘baby reindeer’: woman claiming to be real ‘martha’ slams show as ‘complete nonsense’, brooke shields and daughter show off matching ink at ‘mother of the bride’ premiere, justin and hailey bieber expecting their first child together, chad michael murray is manifesting a 'cinderella story' reboot and 'freaky friday 2' return, sinbad shares never-before-seen look inside his stroke recovery, kris jenner emotionally reveals she has a tumor, 'teen mom': jenelle evans returns for 'the next chapter' to get a 'fresh start' after firing, 'summer house's jesse solomon on 'juicy' season 8 reunion and sharing his cancer journey (exclusive), josh charles shares what taylor swift was like as a director on 'fortnight' video set, 'kingdom of the planet of the apes': owen teague on picking up ape traits (exclusive), check out all the highlights from the biggest night of celebration in hollywood..

The stars were shining bright on Sunday! This year's  Academy Awards  brought out the biggest names in Hollywood for a night of fun and celebration.

Coming together at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, this year's Oscars was a musical performance-filled gala that also served as a celebration of cinema greatness and delivered some truly unexpected surprises and category upsets.

Hosted once again by Jimmy Kimmel -- serving as emcee for the third time -- this year's show expertly navigated the potentially choppy waters of the first show since the infamous slap heard 'round the world.

From some long-awaited wins to some truly touching acceptance speeches, here are all the best, biggest and most memorable highlights from Sunday's 95th Oscars ceremony!

Jimmy Kimmel Opens the Show

After parachuting into the Dolby Theatre (literally dropping down from the rafters), Kimmel delivered a monologue that was gently playful, poking fun at some of the nominees but with a loving and considerate tone -- for the most part.

After ribbing Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Tom Cruise, he addressed last year's infamous slap toward the end of his monologue, explaining, "We want you to have fun, feel safe, and most importantly, we want me to feel safe. So, we have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during the show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech."

Ke Huy Quan Brings on the Waterworks

After dominating much of the 2023 awards season, Ke Huy Quan closed it out with his first, historic Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor . The 51-year-old star took home the prize for Everything Everywhere All at Once , closing a nearly 40-year gap since Haing S. Ngor became the first performer of Asian descent to win the category in 1985. 

"My mom is 84 years old and she's at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar!" he proudly said through his tears as he held up his Oscar. "My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood's biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it's happening to me. This --  this  is the American dream."

Jamie Lee Curtis Wins Her First Oscar

The screen legend  won her first Oscar on Sunday -- after getting her first-ever nomination in her 45-year-long career -- for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. It was the first surprise upset of the night, as Angela Bassett was the odds-on favorite to win the category. "I know it looks like I'm standing up here by myself, but I am not. I am hundreds of people," she said before mentioning her fellow cast and crew, her "dream team," her family, the supporters of the "genre movies" she's made, and her late parents, emotionally telling them all, "We just won an Oscar."

"Naatu Naatu" Makes History

Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava rocked the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night with their epic performance of the hit sensation "Naatu Naatu."   The singers and a throng of dancers had the entire crowd on their feet after belting out their vocals from the Indian film  RRR . The performance, which undoubtedly had all eyes in India glued to their TV sets early Monday morning, earned a rousing ovation following the thrilling dance number.

Later in the evening, "Naatu Naatu"  scored an Academy Award  for Best Original Song, becoming the first song from an Indian film to win in the category.

Rihanna Shows Off Baby Bump During 'Lift Me Up' Performance

Rihanna  took to the stage and gave viewers a show-stopping rendition of her  Oscar-nominated single , "Lift Me Up," from the  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  soundtrack. Wearing a gorgeous, shimmering shirt and trouser pants set, Rihanna sang the ballad penned by herself, singer Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson and Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler. The song serves as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

The Oscars audience was in awe as Rihanna belted out her ballad , hitting every high note with power and grace. Standing on a feathered platform, Rihanna looked emotional as she was met with a standing ovation. At the end of her performance, the camera panned to Rihanna's partner and the father of her son and baby-on-the-way, A$AP Rocky, who appeared to be filled with pride as he cheered her on. Rocky also was celebrating Hollywood's biggest night with a glass of champagne in his hand. 

Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Show Angela Bassett Some Love

Despite Bassett not winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, she still felt the love from Jordan and Majors , who gave her a special shout-out when they took the stage to present the award for Best Cinematography. 

The handsome co-stars subtly gave Bassett a shout-out before getting to their scripted material, with Jordan nodding toward Bassett in the audience, and quietly sharing, "Hey, Auntie," the line his character, Erik Killmonger, famously delivered to Bassett's Queen Ramonda in the first  Black Panther  film. "We love you," Majors added, with a supportive smile, before they got to the planned presentation.

John Travolta Gets Choked Up Introducing 'In Memoriam' Tribute

One of the most emotional and heartbreaking moments of the night came, as one might expect, from the "In Memoriam" segment, which was introduced by John Travolta.  "In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living, and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love," shared Travolta. "And since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community in this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we've lost, who dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera."

"Through their immeasurable contributions, each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us. They've touched our hearts, they've made us smile, and became dear friends," he continued, as his voice cracked and tears welled up in his eyes, "who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to."

Travolta's introduction paid special tribute to Olivia-Newton John, who sang "Hopelessly Devoted to You" in their 1978 musical,  Grease.  Travolta then introduced Lenny Kravitz, who sat at a piano and performed a moving rendition of his song, "Calling All Angels."

Everything Everywhere All At Once Won Everything, All Night Long

The beloved sci-fi dramedy about family, pain, generational trauma, multiverses and hotdog fingers won over the hearts and minds of the Academy in a big way. The small, independent movie that could went into Sunday's show with a total of 11 nominations -- and wound up earning seven in total -- including all of the major categories, except Best Actor, where it wasn't nominated.

Ultimately, EEAAO took home the Oscar for Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and the biggest category of all, Best Picture!

The  2023 Academy Awards  hosted by Jimmy Kimmel aired live on Sunday, March 12 starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC. In the meantime, stay tuned to  ETonline.com  for complete  Oscars coverage  and the  full list of winners .

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21 Best Graduation Speeches That Everyone Should Hear

Read life advice from Ree Drummond, Bill Gates, Oprah, and more!

Included in this list is the Pioneer Woman herself—Ree Drummond has witnessed her fair share of milestones with the Drummond kids and to top it off, she delivered an iconic keynote address at Oklahoma State University . Of course, who could forget Oprah Winfrey's speech to the class of 2020? In this heartfelt and emotional address, Winfrey encourages graduates to find their purpose in life and make a difference in the world. Those two are just a taste of what's to come. So, turn on the graduation songs , grab your tissues, and get ready for some solid life advice. Whether you're a recent graduate or just in need of a little pick-me-up, these speeches are sure to leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on whatever life throws your way.

Bill Gates: Northern Arizona University, 2023

Despite famously dropping out of Harvard after two years of study, Bill Gates shared a few pieces of advice he says he could have used at his hypothetical graduation. The Microsoft founder emphasized the importance of being open to career changes and learning to take a break.

"You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack. When I was your age, I didn’t believe in vacations. I didn’t believe in weekends. I pushed everyone around me to work very long hours. In the early days of Microsoft, my office overlooked the parking lot—and I would keep track of who was leaving early and staying late. But as I got older—and especially once I became a father—I realized there is more to life than work. Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses."

Ree Drummond: Oklahoma State University, 2022

Ree hardly needs an introduction, but she knows a thing or two about life as a published author, Food Network host, and most importantly, mother of five.

"Buckle up, you have good times and rough seas ahead. It is just part of life, but enjoy the ride and laugh a lot... Life is about to unfold for you in all its forms. Love, heartache, accomplishments, disappointment, testing of faith... life is beautiful, so I repeat, buckle up and laugh along the way. It makes life fun."

Hamdi Ulukaya: Northeastern University, 2022

You may not know his name, but you might just love Chobani, the hugely successful yogurt brand Hamdi started. He reminded graduates why we are here on earth.

"As we started to grow, we hired everyone that we could. I realized an hour away there was a community of refugees who were having a hard time finding jobs. I said, 'Let's hire them.' I promise you that there is nothing more rewarding than showing up in the world for other people, no matter how hard it may be."

Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda: University of Notre Dame, 2021

As obvious as it sounds, you don't know what you don't know. That's the lesson from this acclaimed Notre Dame professor and environmental researcher.

"As much as I want to highlight the importance of the expertise you have developed, I also want to make the point that you will face situations in the years ahead where you will have no relevant expertise; you will have no evidence base to rely upon; your intellect will not be able to supply a needed answer. In those situations, I would like to suggest that you respond with love."

Oprah Winfrey: Class of 2020 Virtual Speech

Oprah had one of the hardest commencement speeches to give: it was for the class that graduated during the pandemic. She found a profound lesson in the chaos of those early months.

"Look who turns out to be essential! Teachers—your teachers!—healthcare workers of course, the people stocking grocery shelves, the cashiers, those who are caring for your grandparents, those who clean the places where we work and shop and carry out our daily lives. We are all here because they, at great and profound risk, are still providing their essential service. What will your essential service be? What really matters to you? How will you use what matters in service to yourself, your community, and the world?"

Tim Cook: Tulane University, 2019

Tim Cook took a similar approach to his late co-worker Steve Jobs when it came to the theme of his graduation speech.

"There's a saying that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. At Apple, I learned that's a total crock. You'll work harder than you ever thought possible, but the tools will feel light in your hands. As you go out into the world, don't waste time on problems that have been solved... Look for the rough spots, the problems that seem too big, the complexities that other people are content to work around. It's in those places that you will find your purpose. It's there that you can make your greatest contribution."

Ken Burns: Stanford University, 2016

In his 2016 Stanford speech, America's most famous documentary filmmaker asked listeners not to forget the lessons found in our history.

"Be for something. Be curious, not cool. Feed your soul, too. Every day. Remember, insecurity makes liars of us all. Don't confuse success with excellence. Educate all of your parts. You will be healthier. Seek out—and have—mentors. Listen to them. Bite off more than you can chew. Do not get stuck in one place. Visit our national parks. Their sheer majesty may remind you of your own 'atomic insignificance,' as one observer noted, but in the inscrutable ways of nature, you will feel larger, inspirited, just as the egotist in our midst is diminished by his or her self-regard. Insist on heroes. And be one."

Sheryl Sandberg: UC Berkeley, 2016

The former COO of Facebook offered graduates a realistic look at the life ahead and how to move through the hard times. "Some of you have already experienced the kind of tragedy and hardship that leave an indelible mark. The question is not if some of these things will happen to you. They will. Today I want to talk about what happens next. The easy days ahead of you will be easy. It is the hard days—the times that challenge you to your very core—that will determine who you are. You will be defined not just by what you achieve but by how you survive."

Admiral William H. McRaven: University of Texas at Austin, 2014

During Admiral McRaven's speech at his alma mater, he looked to the lessons he learned serving his country. One of which was so simple, yet profoundly impactful.

"If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter... And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better."

George Saunders: Syracuse University, 2013

Bestselling author and professor George Saunders offered grads a guiding principle to move through life with, no matter what they pursue.

"Travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop)—but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness. Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial. That luminous part of you that exists beyond personality—your soul, if you will—is as bright and shining as any that has ever been."

Kerry Washington: George Washington University, 2013

Actress Kerry Washington told graduates to think of this achievement during the difficult or uncomfortable parts of life.

"The lesson is that you're here because you too learned how to answer the call. You don't earn a degree by doing and being and existing in the comfort zone of what you already know. Look back on the journey that brought you here. What moments challenged you most? When were you asked to step outside of your familiar territory in order to rise to the occasion of your potential? I want you to remember those moments, because they will embolden you."

Neil Gaiman: University of the Arts, 2012

Neil wasn't always an acclaimed author of fiction, comic books, graphic novels, nonfiction, and films. His speech may have been given to a group of young artists, but the advice applies to anyone starting out in a turbulent career.

"People who know what they are doing know the rules, and they know what is possible and what is impossible. You do not. And you should not. The rules on what is possible and impossible in the arts were made by people who had not tested the bounds of the possible by going beyond them. And you can. If you don't know it's impossible, it's easier to do. And because nobody's done it before, they haven't made up rules to stop anyone doing that particular thing again."

Aaron Sorkin: Syracuse University, 2012

Aaron has carved an incredible career writing plays, movies, and television shows, but success clearly hasn't impacted his sense of humility.

"Decisions are made by those who show up. Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world. Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day: civility, respect, kindness, character."

Atul Gawande: Williams College, 2012

Being a surgeon means you have to think on your feet when things go wrong, and for Dr. Gawande, that holds an immense life lesson.

"A failure often does not have to be a failure at all. However, you have to be ready for it. Will you admit when things go wrong? Will you take steps to set them right? Because the difference between triumph and defeat, you'll find, isn't about willingness to take risks. It's about mastery of rescue."

Conan O'Brien: Dartmouth College, 2011

This famous late-night host delivered a hilarious graduation speech riddled with stories, each with their own lesson.

"David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson and was not, and as a result, my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are—my peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways. But the point is this: It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound re-invention."

Steve Jobs: Stanford University, 2005

The entrepreneur, inventor, and pioneer of the personal computer revolution had his fair share of ups and downs in life. But one of the things that made him so persistent was his love of technology.

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

Toni Morrison: Wellesley College, 2004

Toni Morrison disputed the usual platitude that youth is the best time of your life. Instead, she told students that there is nothing more satisfying or gratifying than the true adulthood which stretches out before them. "What is now known is not all that you are capable of knowing. You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human without wealth. What it feels like to be human without domination over others, without reckless arrogance, without fear of others unlike you, without rotating, rehearsing and reinventing the hatreds you learned in the sandbox. And although you don't have complete control over the narrative (no author does, I can tell you), you could nevertheless create it."

Bill Gates: Harvard University, 2007

Who wouldn't take the Microsoft founder's advice?

"In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue—a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don't have to do that to make an impact... don't let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on big inequities. I feel sure it will be one of the great experiences of your lives."

Nora Ephron: Wellesley College, 1996

When Nora Ephron wasn't reporting, she was writing some of our most beloved romantic comedies. She reassured grads that they will always continue to change and grow.

"What are you going to do? Everything is my guess. It will be a little messy but embrace the mess. It will be complicated but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it's going to be like, but surprises are good for you. And don't be frightened. You can always change your mind. I know. I've had four careers and three husbands. And this is something else I want to tell you, one of the hundreds of things I didn't know when I was sitting here so many years ago: you are not going to be you, fixed and immutable you, forever."

Barbara Kingsolver: DePauw University, 1994

The sentiment of Barbara Kingsolver's speech resonates today just as much as it did in 1994.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and give you one little piece of advice and that is like the idea of a future. Believe you have it in you to make the world look better rather than worse seven generations from now. Figure out what that could look like. And then if you're lucky, you'll find a way to live inside that hope, running down its hallways, touching the walls on both sides."

Micaela Bahn is a freelance editorial assistant and recent graduate from Carleton College, where she majored in English literature. She loves running, photography, and cooking the best new recipes.

Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.

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16 Best Graduation Speeches That Leave a Lasting Impression

By Kristi Kellogg and Noor Brara

Some of the most impactful and inspiring sentiments are shared during graduation speeches delivered by the leaders we look up to. Graduation speeches from celebrities , entrepreneurs, authors and other influential thinkers are motivational, inspiring, thought-provoking and just might make you reach for the nearest tissue. After four years of hard work, stress, and exhausting self-discovery, lucky graduates are privy to a life-changing speech to top it all off.

Here, we rounded up up 16 of the best graduation speeches of all time, including words of wisdom from Natalie Portman, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and more.

1. Steve Jobs: Stanford, 2005

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

2. Michelle Obama: Tuskegee University, 2015

"I've found that this journey has been incredibly freeing. Because no matter what happened, I had the piece of mind knowing that all of the chatter, the name-calling, the doubting...all of it was just noise. It did not define me, it didn't change who I was, and most importantly, it couldn't hold me back."

3. Natalie Portman: Harvard, 2015

"I just directed my first film. I was completely unprepared, but my own ignorance to my own limitations looked like confidence and got me into the director's chair. Once there, I had to figure it all out, and my belief that I could handle these things, contrary to all evidence of my ability to do so was half the battle. The other half was very hard work. The experience was the deepest and most meaningful one of my career."

4. Amy Poehler: Harvard University, 2011

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"What I have discovered is this: You can't do it alone … Listen. Say 'yes.' Live in the moment. Make sure you play with people who have your back. Make big choices early and often."

5. Meryl Streep: Barnard College, 2010

"This is your time and it feels normal to you but really there is no normal. There's only change, and resistance to it and then more change."

6. David Foster Wallace: Kenyon College, 2005

"Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about quote the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master."

7. Barack Obama: Howard University, 2016

"You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. I’ll repeat that. I want you to have passion, but you have to have a strategy. Not just awareness, but action. Not just hashtags, but votes."

8. Kerry Washington: George Washington University, 2013

"You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that can write the story that you were meant to tell."

9. Conan O'Brien: Dartmouth College, 2011

"There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized. Today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality … Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen."

10. J.K. Rowling: Harvard, 2008

"I stopped pretending to be anything than what I was. My greatest fear had been realized. I had an old typewriter and a big idea. Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."

11. Oprah Winfrey: Harvard University, 2013

"Learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are. And then figure out what is the next right move. And the key to life is to develop an internal moral, emotional G.P.S. that can tell you which way to go."

12. Joss Whedon: Wesleyan University, 2013

"You have, which is a rare thing, that ability and the responsibility to listen to the dissent in yourself, to at least give it the floor, because it is the key—not only to consciousness–but to real growth. To accept duality is to earn identity. And identity is something that you are constantly earning. It is not just who you are. It is a process that you must be active in. It's not just parroting your parents or the thoughts of your learned teachers. It is now more than ever about understanding yourself so you can become yourself."

13. George Saunders: Syracuse University, 2013

"Do all the other things, the ambitious things … Travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop)—but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness."

14. Nora Ephron: Wellesley College, 1996

"Be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

15. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Wellesley College, 2015

"As you graduate, as you deal with your excitement and your doubts today, I urge you to try and create the world you want to live in. Minister to the world in a way that can change it. Minister radically in a real, active, practical, get your hands dirty way."

16. Admiral William H. McRaven: University of Texas at Austin, 2014

"If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right."

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The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Remarks by President   Biden and Vice President Harris Honoring the 2023 WNBA Champions, the Las Vegas   Aces

4:29 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Good afternoon.  Please have a seat.  Good afternoon.

So, to the world champion Las Vegas Aces — (applause) — Coach Becky Hammon, and Team President Nikki Fargas: Congratulations, congratulations — (applause) — and welcome back — welcome back — welcome back to the White House.

To our dear President, Joe Biden; my husband, the first Second Gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff; and to all the members of Congress and the distinguished guests who are with us this afternoon, thank you all for the work you do every day.  It’s good to be with everyone.

So, this is a team, we all know, that embodies excellence.  You all started this season in the spotlight — defending champions, the team to beat — and you met that pressure with greatness.  You performed with skill, with hustle, and with heart and faced every opponent and every obstacle as one team and one family. 

It was, as we all know, Aces vs. everybody.  (Laughter and applause.)  I heard.

And, of course, the result: 34 regular season wins — a WNBA record — and another championship trophy.  (Applause.)

As a team, you all are defined by your excellence and by your resilience.  We saw it that last game — that last game in Brooklyn.  Down two starting players, trailing nine points at halftime, you showed what you were made of.

A jump shot from Jackie.  (Applause.)  Back-to-back threes from Cayla.  (Applause.)  Two quick baskets from Alysha.  (Applause.)  And nine straight points from A’ja — (applause) — who, of course, was Finals MVP and is, I will say, simply one of the best basketball players in the world.  (Applause.)

So, as a point of personal privilege, I will say: Aces, it is a special privilege to watch you all play because you do it with such joy — joy in the game, in the competition, and working together as a team.

And in addition to being champions on the court, you all are role models and leaders off the court.  You adva- — advocate to protect the freedom to vote.  You speak out for LGBTQ rights.  You fight for pay equity. 

And through the Las Vegas Aces Foundation, you mentor high school athletes across Las Vegas Valley, from Centennial to Desert Oasis.  You teach them about college recruitment, financial literacy, and career development.

And while you play on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, you have made the entire Vegas community your home — another reason, I know, why Nevada feels such pride in what you all have accomplished.  (Applause.)

And earlier this year — we just talked about it — I was honored to host the first official gathering of women’s sports leaders — from athletes, to coaches, to executives — at my residence to recognize the incredible power and importance of teams like yours.

You simply inspire people across our nation and around the world.  Through your excellence, you show young leaders and young women leaders they can be and do anything.

And for that, I thank you all for who you are.  And heartfelt congratulations, again, on your win.

And now, it is my honor to introduce another leader who knows a thing or two about winning — (laughter) — our President, Joe Biden.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  A’ja, when she was saying you’re one of the best, she was including men in that (inaudible).  (Laughter.) 

Folks, welcome to the White House the 2023 WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces.

Kamala and your very own MVP, Doug — (laughter) — the Second Gentleman.  (Laughs.)

And thanks to the members of Congress that are here.

A special thanks to the members of the administration, including Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su.  (Applause.)

And above all — by the way, she was a center.  No, I’m only — (laughter) — Thank you all for the — and the entire Aces organization, especially coaches and players: the first WNBA team in over 20 years to win a title back-to-back.  (Applause.) 

I kind of like that back-to-back stuff.  (Laughter and applause.)

Ever since you moved to Las Vegas in 2018, you’ve embodied excellence: five straight playoff appearances, three Final appearances in four years.  And this year, the best regular-season record in league history, including the most wins in a season; eight and one in the postseason before winning the title again.

PARTICIPANT:  Eight and one. 

THE PRESIDENT:  And along the way, you led — you led —

PARTICIPANT:  Eight and one.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  — by giants of the game: Hall of Fame Coach Becky Hammon.  Becky, where — (applause) — the deepest bench in the league.  Starters led by four All Stars: Chelsea Gray — (applause) — Jackie Young — (applause) — Kelsey Plum — (applause) — and a woman new to the limelight — (laughter) — A’ja Wilson, the pride of Columbia, South Carolina.  (Applause.)

Jim Clyburn here?  Because he’s bragging about you a lot.  (Laughter.) 

And while she couldn’t be here, I want to acknowledge someone who will be considered one of the greatest all-time coaches [players], Candace Parker.  (Applause.)  She played 16 seasons in the league, two Olympic Gold Medals, two regular season MVPs, and a Final MVP.  And look — and going out on top of the world with her third ring, she announced her retirement from the game.

But I want to thank her for an incredible career, but we know she’s got a whole world in front of her — a whole world.  (Applause.)

It’s been a banner year for women’s basketball — more watching y’all than anybody else.  (Laughter.)  The most-watched women’s college game ever. 

It matters to girls and women, finally seeing themselves represented, and it matters to all of America.

That’s why, as a nation, we need to support women’s sports by showing — (applause) — by showing up in person, watching on TV with more sponsorships and programming, and helping grow the business of women’s sports and keep — that keep inspiring — you keep inspiring the entire nation.  And that’s not hyperbole.  You really do.  Think of what this year has been. 

Let me close with this.  This year, we hosted a Black History Month celebration in this very room.  I was introduced by a student named Nijel who just graduated from UNLV.  He spoke about how he was the son of a Las Vegas firefighter who stood on the shoulders of generations of Black firefighters that came before him.

He spoke about how they became a foster family and how he started a nonprofit to provide clothes for foster children who had very little on their own.  In trying to reach more foster kids, he reached out to his entire community to help, and no surprise, the Las Vegas Aces stepped up and answered the call.  God love you. 

And he- — and he’s here.  Where — where are you?  Where is he?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  There he is.

THE PRESIDENT:  There you are.  Stand up.  (Applause.)

He’s here today, and his nonprofit is just one of many ways the Las Vegas Aces are more than just a team.  They represent a belief in excellence, in team work, in community.

And the Las Vegas Aces understand that America — in America, we make history.  We don’t erase history; we make it. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to thank you — (applause) — for showing that the future of women’s sports is brighter than the Vegas lights.

Congratulations, again. 

Now I’m going to turn this over to Nikki, the team president.

Madam President, please come forward.  (Applause.)

MS. FARGAS:  Mr. President, Madam Vice President, thank you so much for once again inviting the Las Vegas Aces, two-time WNBA World Champions, back to the White House.  (Applause.) 

Although 1992 is ancient history for many of these young ladies standing behind me — (laughter) — I don’t even know if some of them were born — I’m certain, Mr. President, that you remember that year’s election season quite vividly.  There were only two women in the Senate at the time: Nancy Kassebaum and Barbara Mikulski. 

But in 1992, a then-record four women won seats, including the first Black woman ever elected, Carol Moseley Braun.  (Applause.) 

Following the swearing in of that class, headline writers dubbed 1992 the “Year of the Woman.”  Senator Mikulski was a bit insulted, noting that “Calling 1992 the ‘Year of the Woman’ makes it sound like the ‘Year of the Caribou’ or the ‘Year of the Asparagus.’”  She added, “We’re not a fad, a fancy, or a year.” 

Four years later, the WNBA announced, “We Got Next.”  At that time, many thought the league was just a fad, a fancy.  But visionaries like David Stern and Val Ackerman, alongside some of the best athletes in the world, set above and about to provide the doubters wrong. 

Altering the landscape of professional sports and of American politics had both proven equally challenging.  And change is slow. 

But three decades later, that change is real. 

Today, the Senate counts 25 women among its numbers.  (Applause.)  And the second-most powerful person in the world is not just a woman but a woman of color.  (Applause.) 

The WNBA has likewise seen dramatic growth in ticket sales, merchandising, and TV ratings, while forward-thinking corporate partners begin to understand the value in investing in women. 

We are not a fad.  We are not a fancy.  We are not a year.  We are the WNBA, 28 years strong and counting. 

Mr. President, Madam Vice President, thank you again for so graciously welcoming us to our nation’s capital. 

We would like to add to your athletics wardrobe — (laughter) — as two-time MVP A’ja Wilson and point guard Chelsea Gray present you with Aces jerseys just in time for the WNBA season’s opener on May 14th.  (Applause.)

(The President and Vice President are presented with Las Vegas Aces jerseys.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  Tell her to put me in, Coach.  I’m ready to play.  (Laughter and applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Congratulations. 

PARTICIPANTS:  Thank you. 

PARTICIPANT:  Thank you for having us.  (Applause.)

Q    Mr. President, when will you debate President Trump?  When?

THE PRESIDENT:  Set it up.

   4:38 P.M. EDT

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Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand

The porn star testified for eight hours at donald trump’s hush-money trial. this is how it went..

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Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

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This episode contains descriptions of an alleged sexual liaison.

What happened when Stormy Daniels took the stand for eight hours in the first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump?

Jonah Bromwich, one of the lead reporters covering the trial for The Times, was in the room.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

In a second day of cross-examination, Stormy Daniels resisted the implication she had tried to shake down Donald J. Trump by selling her story of a sexual liaison.

Here are six takeaways from Ms. Daniels’s earlier testimony.

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Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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Episode 169 — Why World-Class Dealmakers Avoid Negotiations The Boardroom Buzz Pest Control Podcast

This keynote speech by leading M&A advisor, Paul Giannamore, was filmed at the AZPPO Great Western Conference in Mesa, Arizona, on March 27, 2024. The presentation revolves around the key decision-making processes in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), focusing particularly on the choice between negotiation and auction when selling assets. Paul Giannamore, with over 20 years of experience in M&A advisory, emphasizes that understanding and choosing the right selling process—negotiation or auction—is crucial, not only in M&A but in any asset sale. Illustrating this, he shares a personal story about selling a valuable family-owned violin through different methods—initially trying to sell it online and then through personal connections, which eventually led to auctioning. This story serves as a segue into discussing the auction process more broadly. Paul elaborates on the complexities and strategic decisions involved in auctioning, using a detailed example of selling a business through a controlled auction process. The narrative includes tactical shifts like switching to a Dutch auction to push the final sale price closer to the desired amount. He explains the dynamics of a controlled auction, highlighting the absence of traditional negotiation and the focus on leveraging competition among buyers to maximize the selling price. In essence, the presentation provides a comprehensive overview of strategic decision-making in asset sales, focusing on the choice of process, and underscores the importance of understanding and manipulating these processes to achieve the best outcomes in business transactions. Contact POTOMAC today and find out how. Watch the recorded version of his speech here: https://youtu.be/AIbOsEZRifM?si=ikZklx9gCIpMhzdz 

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