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President Obama - President Obama, Kerry Washington and more notables names imparted words of wisdom to the graduating class of 2013 this spring. —Britt MiddletonAt his second official commencement address this spring, President Obama delivered a message of discipline and perseverance to Morehouse College grads on May 19. "You have to remember that whatever you've gone through pales in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured — and they overcame, and if they overcame them, you can overcome them too." He will next address the U.S. Naval Academy on May 24. (Photo: REUTERS/Jason Reed)

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Michelle Obama - On May 17, her second keynote speech of the season, First Lady Michelle Obama rallied Bowie State University seniors to reach their goals through purposeful action. "Please reject the slander that says a Black child with a book is trying to act white. In short, be an example of excellence for the next generation," she said. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Kerry Washington - "Your life is your story and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential," said Scandal star Kerry Washington during her commencement address at George Washington University, her alma mater, on May 19. (Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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Cory Booker - "Real courage is holding onto that still voice in your head that says 'I must keep going.' It's that voice that tells you that nothing is a failure if it's not final," Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Cory Booker told graduating seniors at Yale Law School, his alma mater, on May 19. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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The Dalai Lama - In his May 18 address at Tulane University, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, offered a message of hope and unity. “The very purpose of our life is happiness, which is sustained by hope. We have no guarantee about the future, but we exist in the hope of something better. Hope means keeping going, thinking, ‘I can do this.’ It brings inner strength, self-confidence, the ability to do what you do honestly, truthfully and transparently." (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Syracuse University)

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Sanya Richards-Ross - U.S. Olympic track star Sanya Richards-Ross, who took home two gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics last summer, delivered the keynote at the University of Texas at Austin, her alma mater, on May 18. (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Alice + Olivia)

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Roland Martin - Political commentator Roland Martin addressed Cedar Valley College on May 16. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Michelle Obama - First lady Michelle Obama had a message of unity during her May 11 address at Eastern Kentucky University: "Continue fighting the fights that we've been locked in for decades" or "reject those old divisions and embrace folks with a different point of view," she said. (Photo: AP Photo/James Crisp)

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Bill Clinton - "You can't share the future unless you share the responsibility for building it," former President Bill Clinton reminded Howard University graduates on May 11. (Photo: Earl Gibson III/WireImage)

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Marc H. Morial - Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, addressed Alcorn State University on May 11. “The choice is yours to have the courage and compassion to lead us into the 21st century,” he said. (Photo: Roger L. Wollenberg/Getty Images)

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Toni Morrison  - "None of us is alone. Each of us is dependent on others. Some of us depend on others for life itself," the Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning author told graduating seniors at Vanderbilt University on May 9. (Photo: UPI/David Silpa. /LANDOV)

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Inspiring the Next Generation - Speaking at Ohio State University on May 5, President Obama challenged graduates to "accomplish great things." "Only you can make sure the democracy you inherit is as good as we know it can be," he said. (Photo: Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Rev. Al Sharpton - Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the commencement address to Florida A&M on May 4, urging students to rise above adversity. "If I come down off this stage and knock you down out of your chair, that’s on me. But if we come back next Saturday and you’re still lying on the floor, then that’s on you," Sharpton said. "Even if you’re not responsible for being down, you’re responsible for getting up." (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images For BET)

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Bill Cosby - On May 4, comedian and activist Bill Cosby rallied Paul Quinn College graduates to be become positive role models in their community, starting with taking the "N" word out of their vocabulary. “Because it’s not entertainment,” Cosby said. (Photo: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

Photo By Photo: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II/ AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

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Dr. Ben Carson - Dr. Ben Carson is set to deliver the commencement address at Johns Hopkins University on May 23, despite controversy stemming from his recent comments comparing the rights of same-sex marriage to pedophilia and bestiality. Carson's comments ignited a firestorm among students, who petitioned for his removal from the program. (Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

Photo By REUTERS /JONATHAN ERNST /LANDOV

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Oprah Winfrey - Oprah Winfrey is no stranger to stirring commencement addresses (she delivered the keynote at Stanford University in 2008). On May 30, she'll address Harvard grads. (Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)