"Before I was a politician, I was a public school teacher. I taught sixth grade language arts at Roads Middle School on the west side of San Antonio. I often say teaching middle school is the best preparation for politics.

The west side of San Antonio is a beautiful historic neighborhood. It's also one of the poorest zip codes in the entire state of Texas. a neighborhood not unlike Highland Hills.

My students weren't just kids. They were survivors,
dreamers, fighters. I saw it in their eyes. Something unyielding,
something unshakable.

I see the same thing in your eyes. As a former teacher, I am so proud of each
and every one of you. And I am so and I am so honored to be here at Paul
Quinn College.

Paul Quinn was not started by politicians.
It was built by black preachers holding classes in church basement and living rooms just 7 years after emancipation came to Texas. For 154 years, Quinites have been guided by a deep moral commitment to all of God's children,
regardless of their skin color or their zip code.

This place has spiritual roots. This place is rooted in faith, in service, and in love.

Today I want to invite all of you to live out of those roots."

;;

"You may not believe that a world rooted in faith, service, and love is possible.

In your short lives, you've seen a pandemic and an insurrection,
natural disasters, and artificial intelligence, mass shootings, and mass deportations, all piped through your screen into your souls."

You've grown up in an economy that isn't built for you. The American dream is on life support.

90% of baby boomers went on to earn more money than their parents. For
millennials like me, it's 50%. And for Gen Z, it's even lower. And we know that
black Texans have 10 times less wealth and are half as likely to own a home."

This current cost of living crisis is the culmination of 50 years of trickle down economics.

50 years of the top 1% rigging this economic system and this political system for their own benefit at our expense.

Young people, young people can't afford to buy a home, but Jeff Bezos has 12.

Young people can't afford to fill up their gas tank, but Mark Zuckerberg is launching helicopters from his mega yacht. Young people pay more than their fair share of income taxes. But someone like Elon Musk can get away without paying a penny."

(Excerpts from the speech.)

Here's an article covering the event:

""Disillusionment has a bad reputation," he told the 2026 graduating class of Paul Quinn College in remarks obtained exclusively ahead of time by MS NOW.

"But being disillusioned means being freed from illusions " to see reality. To know the truth. As painful as it may be, your disillusionment is a superpower.

You can see the world as it is and dream of the way it ought to be."