Jaisaan Lovett graduated from University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men as the school’s first black valedictorian.
According to Lovett, he was never actually asked to give a graduation speech but since past valedictorians had given speeches, he assumed that he would be giving one as well. When he asked to speek, the school’s principal, Joseph Munno, said no. “He didn’t want to see the speech or what it said, nothing,” Lovett told the Democrat and Chronicle. “He just said no.”
The school refused to let him speak at the ceremony, but, Lovett was able to give his speech on a much larger platform. Mayor Lovely Warren, who he was an intern for, invited him to deliver the speech at City Hall and posted it on the city’s official YouTube channel.
Lovett thanked his family, friends and mayor, but had a different message for Munno.
“I’m here as the UPrep 2018 valedictorian to tell you that you couldn’t break me. I’m still here, and I’m still here strong,” Lovett said. “And after all these years, all this anger I’ve had toward you and UPrep as a whole, I realized I had to let that go in order to better myself.”
Lovett has a full scholarship and will be attending Clark Atlanta University in the fall.
See the video below:
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7 thoughts on “Principal Forbids First Black Valedictorian From Giving Speech So City Hall Steps In”
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Hi there Dear, are you really visiting this site daily, if so after
that you will definitely take nice know-how.
I luv it, he let his haters be his motivators to get what he needed from them, to show them that he is strong, he will make it, he is a survivor. When they talk to you crazy don’t bend to their level, instead rise above it, and that is what he did, he became the Valedictorian for his class, he showed them that he took the education they gave him and used it to his advantage. He did not break, he kept right on pushing thru. Congratulations young man……..
Hmmm…not allowing this young man to speak is a shame….I am curious at to what the school says and why they wouldn’t let him speak.
How do you know this is half a story. Why are you sooo ridiculous? You should get a life!
Again half a story
u r half a man, and the half an azz. get a life.
Still we rise. Congratulations young man.