Here’s Why Obama Gave Beyoncé A Shoutout In This Commencement Speech

In his speech at Howard University's commencement on Saturday, President Obama talked about race, pop culture, and one person highly pertinent to both topics: Beyoncé. Since Howard is a historically Black university, the president's lecture addressed the progress that has been made toward racial justice in the U.S. as well as the steps we still have to take. "Be confident in your heritage. Be confident in your Blackness," he told the graduates. "If you had to choose a time to be, in the words of Lorraine Hansberry, 'young, gifted, and Black' in America, you would choose right now." “When I was a graduate, the main Black hero on TV was Mr. T. Rap and hip-hop were counter-culture," he said. "Now, Shonda Rhimes owns Thursday night and Beyoncé runs the world.” When the leader of the free world says you "run the world," you know you've made it. You can watch the full commencement address, below.