A special year for college commencement speeches | GUEST COMMENTARY

For many college seniors, whose high school celebrations were upended by the pandemic, this year was their first time to experience the time-honored rituals of graduation: jubilant crowds, caps tossed high — and, of course, commencement speeches.

Such speeches, whether by a university president or celebrity, are usually lofty but predictable. This year’s commencement speeches were anything but ordinary, however, tapping into a surprising range of themes and emotions.

At Morehouse...