In his Saturday address to Morehouse School of Medicine graduates, U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick told them the most important lesson he learned as a student there.
“If you want true influence, instead of trying to win an argument, win a friend,” he said.
That’s what the congressman tried to do during the medical school’s 42nd commencement, after his selection as commencement speaker stirred controversy at the small historically Black college in Atlanta. McCormick, who graduated in 2010 and lives in Alpharetta, was the school’s first white student body president.
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
Some of this year’s roughly 200 graduates wrote a letter to school leaders asking that he be replaced and, in a rare display, about three dozen students held a protest earlier this month. They said his political history — which includes supporting legislation against gender-affirming care and restricting immigration in the U.S. — contradicts the school’s mission to improve health equity.
Saturday’s ceremony went off without any visible protests, and the Republican representative, who is currently running for reelection, largely avoided any hot-button political topics. The controversy, however, was acknowledged.
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Jeromey Beaman, student body president, told fellow graduates Saturday it would be dishonest for him to address the class of 2026 without mentioning the frustration many felt.
“Those feelings are real,” Beaman said, standing feet away from McCormick on the stage. “But I want us to remember something important today: No speaker, no politician, no institution and no single moment has the power to define what the class of 2026 is.”
His classmates gave him a standing ovation.
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
A few minutes later, McCormick walked to the podium to the sound of both boos and applause and spoke about the importance of unity.
Morehouse School of Medicine is a family, he said — and he’s “the older brother that many of you wish you didn’t have.” But he and the graduates at least have their alma mater in common.
“I applaud our differences. I’m glad we don’t all think alike. It’s one of the strengths that make our institution and our great nation as special as it is,” he said. “But we’re all sacrificing in pursuit of a dream, and we are all Morehouse.”
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
School leaders defended the decision to select McCormick as the speaker. President Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice wrote in a letter to student government leaders that the school was built to teach them to influence the world for the better.
On Saturday, she told the graduates receiving degrees in medicine, public health administration and biomedical sciences that they are “hope-bearers for a new generation.”
“When people see you coming, they will know that you know what our mission is: to lead the creation and advancement of health equity,” she said.
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)
Zhuri Nisseau-Bey, who graduated as a doctor of medicine and plans to go into general surgery, said there’s a conflict between the values of the school and the policies McCormick champions. But the speech didn’t affect his day.
“I think the ceremony is for us, and we made sure to still make it about is,” he said. “We’re just going to enjoy this moment.”
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