![]() “I’m sad that it remains relevant, but I’m not completely surprised, because we as a country haven’t done the work necessary to address the systemic racism that pervades every corner of our society,” Springsteen said. One student asked Springsteen about his 2000 song “American Skin (41 Shots),” which he wrote about Amadou Diallo, who was fired on 41 times by NYPD plainclothes officers who thought Diallo was reaching for a gun when he was reaching for his wallet. That’s a lot to ask, but that’s what it means - if you’ll excuse me - to be ‘Born in the U.S.A.’”įollowing his speech, Springsteen answered questions from BC students, touching on topics like the music industry, his love for his wife and kids, and systemic racism. “It will soon be in the hands of your generation to do your damnedest to make up and heal that divide. “The distance between the American dream and our American reality remains greater than ever,” Springsteen said. Springsteen concluded his speech by acknowledging that the incoming students faced one of the greatest challenges of multiple generations, but reminded them that putting in the work to improve society was what made them Americans. We need your vigilance, and your commitment to a greater America, the America that we carry in our hearts.” “You stand sentry at the door of a free nation. “We’ve recently seen how fragile our democracy can be,” Springsteen said. ![]() He told all of the students to vote, calling it an “enormous privilege.” “You can waste it, you can half-ass your way through it, or you can absorb every minute of what you’re experiencing, and come out on the other end an individual of expanded vision, of intellectual vigor, of spiritual character and grace, fully prepared to meet the world again on its own terms.”īeyond broader messages about working hard and studying something that you love, Springsteen had advice more directly applicable to current events for what he dubbed the “coronial generation.” “What you’re about to embark on will be the greatest adventure of your young life,” Springsteen continued. “But I am 70 years old, and I do not and will never have a college degree.” ![]() “Now I, like you, have a high school diploma,” Springsteen said. ![]()
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