Dr. Mae C. Jemison Speech Analysis

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Southern University’s Founders’ Day Dr. Mae C. Jemison Speech Dr. Mae Jemison is the first African American woman to go to space. Currently, she works with National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. On March 9, 2016, she gave a brilliant speech to everybody present in the F.G Clark Activity center at Southern University on the occasion of the 136th Southern University Founders’ Day. Time, she said is the only one truly irreplaceable commodity at our disposal. While time is limited, it has infinite possibilities. She used the West African proverb- if you wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes and if you don’t wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes to place emphasis on this. The choices we make with the 86,400 seconds in each day is what gives it an unlimited potential. Connections from the past, present and future are always very good. Time is the one only truly irreplaceable commodity at our disposal, and we need to use the present time, in preparing for the future. She said that faculty, staff and the administration have the responsibility of letting students develop their gifts as well as students have that responsibility of using their seconds and time well to prepare for the future. Two important student responsibilities she mentioned were: Understanding that the time spent …show more content…

She brought up a very important point of “place at the table”, by asking the question of; “What difference does it make if you have a place at the table and act like everyone else? Everyone was advised to always bring their personal experiences to their current situation to be able to solve matters at hand. This concept is very important as things change every day. She made mention of the fact that talking about a place at the table is talking about being empowered, and being empowered, depends on the individual’s believe in having something to offer which is a choice we have to