Former First Lady Michelle Obama attended the USC graduation of one of her own daughters this spring, so it comes as little surprise that she found herself looking both back and forward as she expressed her hopes on Twitter. The notion of looking both back and forward, after all, is built into the very idea of graduations, which celebrate the end of matriculation with a commencement, which of course means beginning.
Obama wrote to congratulate the class of 2023 and to cheer them on into brighter futures, tweeting: “You worked hard, persevered, and finally made it to your graduation day. I am so proud of you and everything it took to bring you to this moment.”
Class of 2023—you did it! 🎉👏🏾
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 30, 2023
You worked hard, persevered, and finally made it to your graduation day. I am so proud of you and everything it took to bring you to this moment.
Mentioning that she’d written a bit about graduation in her book The Light We Carry, Obama also asked for thoughts from others, knowing, as she wrote, that she was “not the only one who has reflections about graduation. So if anyone else has any advice to share with the Class of 2023, reply to this tweet!”
I know I’m not the only one who has reflections about graduation. So if anyone else has any advice to share with the Class of 2023, reply to this tweet! 🎓
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 30, 2023
People — real people — did answer her request. But the former First Lady’s feed was overwhelmed by an account calling itself “American Conservative” that ignored the question and replied repeatedly with a story about a photo featuring Barack Obama and Louis Farrakhan — the leader of the Nation of Islam and acknowledged anti-Semitic instigator.
The account also forwards an Epoch Times story in the feed as well as making an attempt to recast the findings of the Durham report to show criminal activity, which it did not show.
On Elon Musk‘s alleged bastion of free speech Twitter, the American Conservative account is currently occupying eight of the top 11 spots beneath Obama’s lighthearted question about graduations. And more MAGA replies castigate Obama for her political persuasion, without reference to the question.
Still, some responses to Obama’s question — and in its spirit — can be found. Here is a selection:
Stand up to those 'above' you.
— Yi-Long (@YikeYuke) May 30, 2023
Stand up for those 'below' you.
With this, I mean you don't allow your boss/manager or anyone else to abuse their power to exploit you, and when you're in charge of a few folks, you look out for their interests as best as you can.
Don’t be afraid to try something you aren’t good at, or to make mistakes. The path you are embarking on (as expensive as it has been in effort, time, and money) is made of stepping stones, not poured concrete. Flexibility will serve you better than rigid certainty.
— rareamphibian (@rare_amphibian) May 30, 2023
Start your retirement savings with your very first position. Your 60 year old self will thank you!!
— Linda D (@lldurkin) May 30, 2023
Some even expanded on Obama’s notion, adding an inclusive aspect that invited more people to look forward to a brighter future:
Start your retirement savings with your very first position. Your 60 year old self will thank you!!
— Linda D (@lldurkin) May 30, 2023
