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Light up the world with your luminous allure.
Donovan Livingston’s awe-inspiring poem
on education,
delivered at Harvard’s 2016 Convocation.
Donovan Livingston’s Harvard Ed. Student Speech: A Call to Reimagine Education
Donovan Livingston captivated the world with his powerful and poetic graduation speech at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Delivered in 2016, his spoken-word address, “Lift Off,” eloquently highlighted the transformative power of education and the need to break down barriers that stifle creativity and equity in learning.
Celebrated for its passion and profound insights, Livingston’s speech continues to inspire educators, students, and change-makers worldwide. This page explores the speech’s enduring impact through text and video, celebrating Livingston’s vision for an educational system that uplifts every voice and unleashes the potential within us all.
He began by reflecting on America’s history
of oppressing black people by denying them education.
“‘Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin/ Is a great equalizer of the conditions of men.’ — Horace Mann, 1848/ At the time of his remarks I couldn’t read — couldn’t write/ Any attempt to do so, punishable by death.”
Donovan Livingston graduated from the Harvard School of Education on Thursday —
but the day before, as part of the graduate school’s convocation,
he performed a powerful spoken-word poem about his role as a Black man,
a student and now an educator.
Donovan Livingston’s Harvard Graduate School of Education Student Speech
26 mei 2016
May 25, 2016 Convocation Speech. Full remarks transcribed here: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/16/05…
Since its founding in 1920, the Harvard Graduate School of Education has been training leaders to transform education in the United States and around the globe. Today, our faculty, students, and alumni are studying and solving the most critical challenges facing education: student assessment, the achievement gap, urban education, and teacher shortages, to name just a few. Our work is shaping how people teach, learn, and lead in schools and colleges as well as in after-school programs, high-tech companies, and international organizations. The HGSE community is pushing the frontiers of education, and the effects of our entrepreneurship are improving the world.
His speech tied the past to the contemporary, referencing Billie Holiday and Langston Hughes in the same breath as the DREAM Act:
“I stand here, a manifestation of love and pain/ With veins pumping revolution/ I am the strange fruit that grew too ripe for the poplar tree/ I am a DREAM Act, Dream Deferred incarnate/ I am a movement — an amalgam of memories America would care to forget/ My past, alone won’t allow me to sit still.”
Light up the world with your luminous allure
Good afternoon.
How is everyone doing today? Good. Good.
So greetings friends, family, faculty, staff, alumni
and the illustrious Class of 2016,
make some noise!
So my name is Donovan Livingston
and I came to address you in the best way
I know how
but you have to forgive me,
I have to take this moment in
for a little while.
When I spoke in my high school graduation
several years ago,
my high school English teacher threatened
to replace me on
the program or cut my microphone
which she found out
that I was interested in
doing a poem as a part
of my remarks.
So I am eternally grateful
for being able to share
this piece of myself
in my most authentic voice
with you this afternoon.
So spoken word poetry,
it insists on participation,
so if you feel so compelled
snap, clap, throw up your
hands, rejoice, celebrate.
Class of 2016
this is your address
and this is your day.
Livingston’s speech recalled educators who had made an impact on him as a child before turning to his own students.
“I look each of my students in the eyes/ And see the same light that aligned Orion’s Belt/ And the pyramids of Giza/ I see the same twinkle/ That guided Harriet to freedom.”
Livingston’s speech recalled educators who had made an impact on him as a child before turning to his own students.
“I look each of my students in the eyes/ And see the same light that aligned Orion’s Belt/ And the pyramids of Giza/ I see the same twinkle/ That guided Harriet to freedom.”Livingston also called on his fellow educators to teach students about inequality while at the same time, lifting them up.
“An injustice is telling them they are stars/ Without acknowledging night that surrounds them,” he said. “Injustice is telling them education is the key/ While you continue to change the locks.”
But he ended a speech with a message of hope: “I belong among the stars/ And so do you/ And so do they … No, sky is not the limit/ It is only the beginning/ Lift off.”
Donovan received a standing ovation — and deservedly so.
DONOVAN’S POEM ‘LIFT OFF’
Light up the world with your luminous allure
Donovan Livingston delivers his awe-inspiring poem
Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin,
Is a great equalizer of the conditions of men.’ – Horace Mann, 1848.
At the time of his remarks I couldn’t read — couldn’t write.
Any attempt to do so, punishable by death.
For generations we have known of knowledge’s infinite power.
Yet somehow, we’ve never questioned the keeper of the keys —
The guardians of information.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen more dividing and conquering
In this order of operations — a heinous miscalculation of reality.
For some, the only difference between a classroom and a plantation is time.
How many times must we be made to feel like quotas —
Like tokens in coined phrases? —
‘Diversity. Inclusion’
There are days I feel like one, like only —
A lonely blossom in a briar patch of broken promises.
But I’ve always been a thorn in the side of injustice.
Disruptive. Talkative. A distraction.
With a passion that transcends the confines of my consciousness —
Beyond your curriculum, beyond your standards.
I stand here, a manifestation of love and pain,
With veins pumping revolution.
I am the strange fruit that grew too ripe for the poplar tree.
I am a DREAM Act, Dream Deferred incarnate.
I am a movement – an amalgam of memories America would care to forget
My past, alone won’t allow me to sit still.
So my body, like the mind
Cannot be contained.
As educators, rather than raising your voices
Over the rustling of our chains,
Take them off. Un-cuff us.
Unencumbered by the lumbering weight
Of poverty and privilege,
Policy and ignorance.
I was in the 7th grade, when Ms. Parker told me,
‘Donovan, we can put your excess energy to good use!’
And she introduced me to the sound of my own voice.
She gave me a stage. A platform.
She told me that our stories are ladders
That make it easier for us to touch the stars.
So climb and grab them.
Keep climbing. Grab them.
Spill your emotions in the big dipper and pour out your soul.
Light up the world with your luminous allure.
To educate requires Galileo-like patience.
Today, when I look my students in the eyes, all I see are constellations.
If you take the time to connect the dots,
You can plot the true shape of their genius —
Shining in their darkest hour.
I look each of my students in the eyes,
And see the same light that aligned Orion’s Belt
And the pyramids of Giza.
I see the same twinkle
That guided Harriet to freedom.
I see them. Beneath their masks and mischief,
Exists an authentic frustration;
An enslavement to your standardized assessments.
At the core, none of us were meant to be common.
We were born to be comets,
Darting across space and time —
Leaving our mark as we crash into everything.
A crater is a reminder that something amazing happened here —
An indelible impact that shook up the world.
Are we not astronomers — looking for the next shooting star?
I teach in hopes of turning content, into rocket ships —
Tribulations into telescopes,
So a child can see their potential from right where they stand.
An injustice is telling them they are stars
Without acknowledging night that surrounds them.
Injustice is telling them education is the key
While you continue to change the locks.
Education is no equalizer —
Rather, it is the sleep that precedes the American Dream.
So wake up — wake up! Lift your voices
Until you’ve patched every hole in a child’s broken sky.
Wake up every child so they know of their celestial potential.
I’ve been a Black hole in the classroom for far too long;
Absorbing everything, without allowing my light escape.
But those days are done. I belong among the stars.
And so do you. And so do they.
Together, we can inspire galaxies of greatness
For generations to come.
No, sky is not the limit.
It is only the beginning.
Lift off.
“I teach in hopes of turning content into rocket ships into telescopes”
“I teach with the aim of transforming educational material into tools that
empower students to explore and understand the world more deeply.”
Donovan Livingston’s spoken word speech, titled “Lift Off,” delivered during the 2016 Harvard Graduate School of Education convocation, went viral for its powerful message on the role of education, inspiration, and empowerment.
Here are the key points:
Education as Liberation: Livingston emphasizes that education should be seen as a tool for liberation, not merely a means to an end. He advocates for an education system that empowers individuals, especially marginalized communities.
Personal Narrative and Inspiration: Drawing from his own experiences as a Black student, Livingston highlights how historically, education systems have marginalized certain voices. He relates this to broader societal challenges, inspiring people to break these barriers.
Role of Teachers: Teachers, according to Livingston, have a unique responsibility to inspire, encourage, and uplift students. He believes educators can unlock the potential in students, transforming their lives and the world around them.
Historical Context of Oppression: Livingston connects his message to historical contexts, addressing how people of color have often been excluded from educational opportunities. He invokes past struggles for equality and freedom to underscore the importance of access to quality education for all.
Empowerment Through Education: The speech calls for an inclusive educational system that fosters growth, nurtures talent, and allows every student to reach their full potential, regardless of background.
A Vision for the Future: Livingston closes by urging the audience to believe in the transformative power of education. He envisions a future where barriers are removed and every student can achieve their dreams.
His speech combines personal experience, poetic expression, and a call to action, inspiring educators and students alike to reimagine the purpose of education.
Donovan Livingston is a poet, educator, and public speaker who gained widespread recognition for his spoken word convocation address, “Lift Off,” at Harvard University in 2016. His message about education, empowerment, and social justice resonated deeply, especially in the fields of education and advocacy. Livingston is passionate about reforming education to be more inclusive and empowering for marginalized communities.
Here are some key points about Donovan Livingston:
1. Educational Background:
- Livingston holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University, and Harvard University, where he earned a master’s degree in education. His academic achievements reflect his deep commitment to the field of education.
2. Advocate for Educational Equity:
- Livingston is a strong advocate for educational equity and reform. He believes in the transformative power of education, especially for students from underrepresented and marginalized communities. He urges educators to see themselves as facilitators of liberation and empowerment.
3. Inspirational Speaker and Poet:
- His convocation address at Harvard became famous for blending spoken word poetry with a powerful message about the inequities within the education system. The speech was shared widely across social media platforms, inspiring millions of people worldwide.
4. Focus on Marginalized Voices:
- A central theme in Livingston’s work is the amplification of voices that are often silenced or marginalized. He highlights the systemic barriers that prevent many students from achieving their full potential and advocates for a more inclusive educational approach.
5. Educator and Mentor:
- In addition to his work as a speaker and poet, Livingston has been involved in education at various levels. He has worked as a college access counselor, helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds navigate the higher education system.
6. Commitment to Social Justice:
- Livingston’s work transcends education. He is committed to broader social justice causes, including racial equity, and uses his platform to speak on issues affecting Black communities and other marginalized groups.
In summary, Donovan Livingston’s key contributions center on his advocacy for educational reform, his poetic and powerful communication style, and his ongoing work to inspire educators and students to create a more inclusive and equitable world through education. His message remains a call to action for reimagining the potential of education as a tool for liberation.
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