Oakwood College Commencement. June 1, 1986

This video features the Oakwood College commencement ceremony at which Joseph E. Lowery is a speaker. Oakwood College, now Oakwood University, is a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution. In his speech, Lowery reflects on the civil rights movement, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, and the need to continue the work fighting drugs, poverty, and other systemic issues in America. The overall theme of his speech to the graduating students is "to be giants." Following Lowery is a speech by a student, the awarding of diplomas, an address by the college president, and the presentation of a plaque to Lowery by the student association president.The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library acknowledges the generous support of the Joseph & Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice and Human Rights, the Joseph Echols Lowery Irrevocable Trust, and other donors in supporting the processing and digitization of Morehouse College's Joseph Echols and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Collection