NINETEEN SEVENTY NINE
Author
Every class member of Nineteen Seventy Nine
happily smiled at the endless crowds of people.
Family members and friends of these young individuals screamed in rejoice, clapped, cried, and took a plethora of pictures in remembrance of this unforgettable day. The day they've all been waiting
for since pre-k. Graduation.
Michael, who sat in the front, looked towards his family, screaming his name so loudly that it began
to outcast all the other thunderous bellows.
Inwardly, Michael laughed to himself from how disturbingly loud his family was.
Michael's little sister Janet proudly held up a
poster that said, "My Brother Is The Valedictorian," with a bunch of hearts and an abundance of glitter.
Michael thought it was the most adorable thing ever.
Though Michael was filled with of happiness, he
still felt quite nervous about presenting his speech. Speaking in front of crowds of people was not unusual for Michael as he was an activist, which required him to be vocal amongst many people.
But there was a reason behind why he felt nervous about presenting this speech in front of everyone who attended the graduation. Michael was having quite a bit of trouble writing his speech; every time he would write something, it ended up being bawled inside the bottom of a trashcan barrel. Nothing he wrote seemed to stand out enough for his message to be heard, loud and clear. So he went to the one person he could go to for anything, Abhaya.
The two put out, put in, revised, and revamped Michael's speech for three weeks straight.
Abhaya was a great help to Michael. She gave him good references on what he should touch on. Michael took a few of her ideas and mixed them with some of his own to create the perfect speech.
After countless hours of Michael repeatedly reading his speech to Abhaya for memorization, he assumed
he was ready—up until the day of.
"And now we will be presenting the class Valedictorian of Nineteen Seventy Nine, Michael Jackson!"
A roar of cheers erupted from within the crowd. Michael's family went ballistic as they jumped around and clapped until smoke began to form between their hands. With a deep breath, Michael stood up from his chair and made it up towards the podium.
He glanced over his shoulder to look at Abhaya,
whose eyes were already on him as she smiled from ear to ear. She could sense Michael's nervousness, so she gave him a reassuring wink before mouthing.
"you got this."
That small gesture relieved Michael's anxiousness and slight worries immensely.
He gave Abhaya a quick smile before turning back
to face the crowd whose screaming began to make his ears ring. Michael adjusted the mic before dipping his head down to speak, "Good evening, everyone" was all Michael had to say for the crowd's pitch to skyrocket.
Michael laughed a bit as he waited for the crowd to calm down.
"Today is the day the class of Seventy Nine' celebrates the struggles we all went through. The mountains
we had to climb, the rivers we had to swim, the dark tunnels we walked through with fear of not knowing what was on the other side. We struggled quite a lot for this particular day, and as I stand before you, I can proudly say that it was all worth it. Every tear that was dropped, blood that was shed, and sweat that seeped out through the pores of our skin from the immense amount of hard labor was worth it!"
Michael took a slight pause as he flashed the crowd
a million-dollar smile.
"Today, I am making history with being honored as
the first black Valedictorian of Sandy Woods High."
Every black family in the crowd stood up to their
feet and gave Michael a round of applause. They didn't have to know Michael personally to understand this was a big win for every black person in that room.
"It wasn't easy getting here; it was difficult. Challenging. I faced a lot of challenges that seemed
to be endless. I used to ask myself, is all the stress worth a title? But I realized something. Being the first black Valedictorian of Sandy Woods represents more than just a title. It represents the progression of black empowerment. This achievement showcases off the resilience of what we have all gone through for many generations."
Michael took a deep breath as he felt himself become emotional. The sacrifices of his ancestors and what they had to go through always made his heart heavy.
All the pain his ancestors suffered from was
why Michael was working so hard to fight oppression, racism, and inequality-which was still going on till this day.
"This title isn't just for me; it's for all of us. As in us,
I mean the ones with the broader noses, the ones with skin complexions that wouldn't pass that horrific paper bag test, the ones with hair that curls with just a drop of rain. This is for who this achievement is for."
Michael could tell he was making people, more precisely white people, uncomfortable with his speech.
Did he care? Of course not. He was going to say
his peace no matter how uncomfortable people felt,
this was his truth, and he would speak it out to the high heavens above.
"This achievement is also for the fallen angels."
As Michael looked through the crowd, he noticed Rodney, who was smiling at him. What he would say next would be dedicated to him and his late son.
"It's too many of us falling victim to street life. We
all have the potential to do whatever we want to do, and no one can tell us any differently. I understand how hard it can be for a young black man to get looked down on, judged for his skin color, and feel that the only option out there is in the streets. But I'm here to tell you that's not the case. I know a great man whose son had a bright future ahead of him. His life was tragically taken away from the acts of gang affiliation;
I would like to dedicate this achievement to him. This is for you, Rodger."
Michael looked back at Rodney, who was now
wiping his face as tears fell from his eyes. His the heart was utterly touched; he would forever commend Michael for doing something so profound, so heartfelt.
"We cannot turn to the streets; we have to turn to
each other. We have to love one another, respect one another, help each other out in our times of need. We should never harm one another or leave one another astray because we're all we got." Michael's message touched every black family in the building; they understood what he meant because they've all faced similar situations.
"As I come to the ending of this speech, I would like
to give thanks to the ones who've helped me get to where I am today. For starters, I would like to thank my parents, who shaped me into the man I am today. Thank you for always uplifting me, thank you for being the ones I can always count on, thank you for your support and unconditional love. Thank you
for being my parents, I love you."
Michael hadn't realized it yet, but tears were beginning to roll down his joyful face. "I wanna thank my siblings who've always had my back; I love you all to pieces; I could go on and on about you guys, but to save time, know that I cherish every single one of you dearly. I wanna thank my barber Rodney who never put me in harm's way by steering my hairline wrong." Laughs began to erupt throughout the sea of people.
Rodney waved his hat at Michael while chuckling a
bit. "But on a serious note, I commend Rodney for the things he's done for me. Small talks in the barbershop grew into a bond that would last for a lifetime. I love you, man."
Michael continued, "Also, I would like to thank a friend of mines. She's been there for me through the darkest times of my life, and I will always hold that inside my heart for the rest of my days. She has taught me the true meaning of friendship. She will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for being the greatest friend I could ever have Abhaya, I love you."
As Michael said that Abhaya felt her heart unexpectedly drop, she didn't expect Michael would say that, so it caught her off guard a bit. It also made butterflies erupt entirely throughout her stomach for some strange reason.
"Finally, I wanna thank the man above because, without him, none of us would be here today. Thank you, parents, family, and friends, for helping us get through these challenging years of teenage angst. Your unconditional love and support will always be the glue that keeps us together. Class of 79' this is our time to make the most of our lives. This is our time to be whatever we want to be and do whatever our hearts desire. The world is a playground for us, and we will not be subjected to living in the sandbox. We'll go out and create legendary names for ourselves; we will make history!"
The class of Seventy Nine hooped, hollered, and clapped as they cheered for Michael.
He did a glance over his shoulder, flashing a
smile before turning back towards the podium.
"With all of this being said, Congratulations, class of 1979, we made it!"
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