In 10th grade, right before spring break of 2019, we went on strike alongside our teachers in protest of fair wages and equitable resources. Remember being out there in front of Tech? A sea of us on the lawn, camera crews documenting our passion and commitment, absorbing our energy. Thousands of us led, organized and participated in walkouts to protest gun violence. Upset, horrified and fed up, we took a stand. In the ninth grade, 17 people were murdered in the Parkland Florida school shooting. Did we forget? There is absolutely no way you can tell me I am the first Black person capable of being valedictorian We were being trapped in a glass jar, our wings banging against the glass ceiling as we were unable to fly.īut it’s not like we hadn’t been tested before. We marched in the streets in the middle of a pandemic because we had had enough.Ī pandemic. It felt like it kept getting worse.Īnd piling on top of the trauma, Black people were being gunned down by police. Jobs were lost, savings exhausted, housing unstable and mental health stretched. And that’s if you were lucky enough to not catch the virus or have a loved one get sick. TikTok blew up, toilet paper disappeared and, unfortunately, we were introduced to Zoom. That’s what we thought at least, but we know how the rest goes. After all, it was only gonna be here for like, two weeks, then we would go back to school. We were all so happy when this strange little virus called “Corona” gave us an extended spring break. Australia was on fire, Meghan Markle renounced her throne, World War 3 almost happened, the Niners actually made it to the Super Bowl, and this was all before March.Īnd then, in the midst of a very stressful junior year, we received a well-deserved pause. Our high school experience was everything except for normal.Ģ020 got off to a weird start. And how could I do that? No one has been through what we’ve been through. I was searching the experiences of others to convey our experience. I was trying to find a template, a blueprint, for us to follow. Eventually, after watching other people’s graduation speeches, I realized what was wrong. You should’ve seen me stressed out, poring through Google and YouTube for hours, trying to figure out what to say. There was a lot that tried to stop us from soaring, but our purpose is greater than any force that has tried to hold us back. How was I to know that the very colors that made me beautiful also exposed me to danger? Who knew some would presume that the best use for us is trapped beneath a glass, our wonder confined to spectacle, our value limited. I had no idea so much was out there ready to weigh down our wings. And the odds that we’d one day become butterflies.Īhmed Muhammad also founded a non-profit that brings science kits to young students. I can’t help but think about that kindergarten kid and my classmates. Something like that.Ĭan you believe that was 13 years ago? And, ironically, it feels like we’ve been in a cocoon over the last year. And we were on our way to becoming butterflies. I talked about how we were all caterpillars. The last time I gave a speech was in 2008, at my kindergarten graduation. Thank you for your commitment, your love, your nurturing, and your passion these last four years. The glory belongs to all of our teachers, counselors, administrators, and the rest of faculty and staff, who are overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. Who supplement my weakness with their strength, and instill belief in me whenever I’m running low. The glory belongs to the village that raised me along this journey. The glory belongs to my brother and sister who are the absolute perfect blend of annoying and loving. It belongs to my parents, who are my greatest inspirations, my biggest supporters, the two people who I can count on most in this world. I stand before you proud and amazed, but the glory is not mine. My name is Ahmed Muhammad, and it is an honor to stand before you today, representing the class of 2021 as our Valedictorian. “While I may be the first young Black man to be our school’s valedictorian, I won’t be the last,” says Muhammad, who plans to attend Stanford in the fall.īelow is an edited version of that speech he delivered on 29 May. In his speech, Muhammad tackled the unprecedented circumstances that defined the class of 2021 – from the Covid-19 pandemic to the summer of Black Lives Matter protests – as well as the historic nature of his achievement. Muhammad had previously earned fame for founding a non-profit called Kits Cubed that brings science kits to young students.
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