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Article published: May 10, 2009 Clyburn addresses Morris grads Honorary degrees given to Ret. U.S. Army Capt. Leroy Bowman, Rep. Weeks
Sumter native and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn delivered an inspirational commencement address interrupted by laughter and applause at the Sumter County Exhibition Center on Saturday before 135 graduating Morris College seniors, their families, friends and faculty.
The Sixth District Democrat told the crowd about delivering the commencement address 10 years ago at Morris College, and how he was approached a few weeks later by two young ladies in Florence that told him they had enjoyed his speech.
Feeling "a little devilish," he asked the young ladies: "What did I talk about?," he recalled. "Finally one of them spoke up and said 'well, I don't remember, but it was short.'"
Clyburn joked that for a commencement address to be good, it should be short.
"I thought that would get me a standing ovation," he said, to growing applause and hearty laughter. "Now if that's true, you all are in for not just a good, but a great speech today."
He then made note of the two men who received honorary degrees prior to him taking the podium: Rep. David Weeks, D-Sumter, and Ret. U.S. Army Capt. Leroy Bowman, one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.
"You are not going to be recognized in life for just being professionals, or the vocations or pursuits that you've met. People will recognize you for being good at what you do," he said. "So I want to say to you: Whatever it is you choose to do, be good at it."
One of the proudest moments of his life, he said, happened two years ago in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol after a ceremony to honor the Tuskegee Airmen when a gentleman requested to have his photo taken with Clyburn, and it turned out to be Bowman.
"I wept," he said. "He means a lot. The men who fought with him broke barriers so that you and I can achieve. You don't know what and who you are experiencing this program with."
Clyburn told the crowd he likes to play a game with the dictionary, and recently went to the Vs to find words that have meaning. Vindictive, vicious and victims can be found, he said, but one can also find vigilant and vigorous.
"Whatever you do, be vigilant and whatever you do, be vigorous," he said.
The graduating seniors, he said, regardless of what they did in life, should do something for which they are not paid — volunteer.
"You will find out that you get more reward, more blessings, for doing things that you are not paid for," he said. "People expect for you to perform when they pay you — people will reward you for performing in areas that you're not paid to perform in."
Morris College President Dr. Luns Richardson, he said, asked him to share a story from his childhood growing up in Sumter. Clyburn said his mother grew up in Lee County, and his mother and father moved to Sumter from Kershaw County to attend Morris College. His mother worked as a beautician to pay her tuition, and Clyburn's Beauty Shop was one of the rooms in his family's home.
Every day after school, Clyburn had to check in with his mother in her shop. One day, a lady his mother grew up with in Lee County was at the shop, and she talked about how long it had been since she last saw him, how he'd grown and how his voice had changed. The woman, he said, inquired into his plans for the future and what he wanted to be when he grew up, so he told her about his desire to finish high school and college before launching into politics and government.
"She stopped and said, 'Son, don't let anybody else ever hear you say that again," he recalled.
The woman was not throwing cold water on his dreams, he said.
"She just thought a little black boy growing up in Sumter, South Carolina in the 40s and 50s should not have those kinds of aspirations," he said. "It was not safe to have those kinds of aspirations."
After his mother closed up the shop for the day, she called him into the kitchen.
"And said, 'James, don't pay any attention to what that lady said today. You stay in school, you pursue your dreams. Things will change. You will be able to fulfill your dreams,'" he said, noting that things have changed because of Leroy Bowman and others.
"Today I stand here as a further fulfillment of those dreams," he said, which brought him to another V word: Victory.
Victory, he said, is much more than winning. It's winning against the odds and overcoming obstacles.
"Victory means not resigning yourself to be a victim," he said. "It's a word all of you should become very acquainted with."
Clyburn then spoke of how his political career began with a series of losses in seeking office, and the third time he lost, a friend likened it to striking out in baseball.
"Three strikes and you're out," he was told, he said. "What are you going to do now? I said, 'You know, that's a baseball rule.'"
Life, he said, should not be lived by a baseball rule.
"No matter how many times you lose or get disappointed, don't you ever give up," he said.
He recalled a race for a House seat in 1970 which had him winning by 500 votes after the ballots were tallied, only to discover the next morning he actually lost by 500 votes.
"That was tough," he said.
Eight years later, he ran, and lost, in a bid for Secretary of State. Eight years after that, he ran, and lost again, in another bid for the same office.
"That was tough," he said. "But you know what? I am now the Majority Whip in the United States Congress."
After the applause died down, he spoke of a note his wife left him on his bathroom sink after he won the primary in 1970.
"When you win, brag gently. When you lose, weep softly," he said. "I've never forgotten that."
In closing, he told the applauding seniors to be victorious, vigorous and to volunteer.
"Whatever it may be, do not ever give up," he said, before emphasizing his last words. "Never, never, never give up."
Contact Staff Writer Joe Perry at jperry@theitem.com or (803) 774-1272.