Brinkley delivers keynote at Sarah Lawrence commencement

Sarah Lawrence College held its 94th Commencement on May 13. More than 400 current graduates were joined by alumni from the classes of 2021 and 2020 who returned to campus to participate in the event.

Historian Douglas Brinkley delivered the keynote address. Bestselling author, transgender activist and professor at Barnard College, Jennifer Finney Boylan was awarded an honorary degree.

Brinkley, who is often seen on television delivering commentary on global and domestic events, is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and professor of history at Rice University. Among his books are “Cronkite,” “The Nixon Tapes” and “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race.” He recently was selected by the New-York Historical Society as its U.S. presidential historian.

Brinkley recalled being with former President Barack Obama when he met a group of children at the White House during a time when it looked as if he might lose re-election to Republican candidate Mitt Romney. He said one youngster looked up at the president and said, ”You”™re gonna win. You can do it. Yes, you can.” Brinkley said that he saw Obama react to that with a big smile and after the children left, Obama told Brinkley, “That”™s all I need. Encouragement. Everybody”™s telling me what I did wrong on the debate and what I”™m doing wrong and this is wrong. This kid made me feel better.”

Brinkley also told the graduates about his experiences with civil rights activist Rosa Parks while writing her biography. He described her as a great voice of nonviolence except when she was at a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an audience member went onto the stage and punched King in the face. Parks later put ice on the wound and gave King aspirin to relieve the pain. While King demanded that no charges be filed against the attacker, Parks told Brinkley that she would have punched him back.

Brinkley reminded the graduates that President Abraham Lincoln, one of the country”™s most revered presidents, had faced a series of hard times and troubles. He wasn”™t even on the ballot in seven states when he was elected, Brinkley noted, and said that they had to use a body double to protect Lincoln when he was being brought to Washington to take office.

“Remember when your days are dark, no matter how bad you guys have it on a certain day, looking for a job, working at a job, Lincoln had it worse. Just put a picture up; Lincoln had it worse than me,” Brinkley said.