Talarico Urges Class of 2026 to Lead “Revolution From Below”
Standing before the graduating class at Paul Quinn College, State Rep. James Talarico delivered a commencement address that didn’t soften the moment — it confronted it.
“You have scrolled through more suffering, more division, more chaos than any generation in human history,” he told the Class of 2026.
But instead of framing that reality as defeat, Talarico flipped it.
“As painful as it may be, your disillusionment is a superpower. You can see the world as it is and dream of the way it ought to be.”
A Generation Coming of Age in Crisis
Talarico described a generation shaped by instability — from economic pressure to social division — arguing that many young people are entering adulthood at a time when “the American Dream is on life support.”
He pointed directly at systemic imbalance.
“This current cost of living crisis is the culmination of 50 years of the top 1% rigging this economic system and this political system for their own benefit — at our expense.”
Still, the message wasn’t resignation — it was responsibility.
“Stop. Just Stop.”
In one of the most grounded moments of the speech, Talarico urged graduates to disconnect from the noise and reconnect with awareness.
“If I had one piece of advice for you, it would be to stop. Stop what you’re doing. Stop your hurry. Stop your scrolling. Just stop and look around with a child’s eyes.”
The message cut against the pace of modern life — calling for presence, not performance.
A “Revolution From Below”
Drawing from the history of Paul Quinn College — founded by Black preachers shortly after emancipation — Talarico framed the graduates themselves as part of a longer legacy of change.
“In the rubble of this shaken world, you’ll find the stones the builders rejected… You will be the cornerstone of a new world built on unshakable things: faith, service, and love.”
He described that future not as something handed down, but something built upward.
“A revolution from below.”
The Bigger Call: A New Awakening
Talarico closed his message by placing the current moment in a larger historical pattern — moments when crisis forced reflection and transformation.
“We are on the verge of a New Great Awakening,” he said. “And your generation… will lead us.”
The charge wasn’t abstract. It was direct.
“Fall in love with everything all at once… then get off your knees and start swingin’.”
Full Commencement Address (As Delivered)
Congratulations to the Class of 2026!
And congratulations to the people who made this day possible: your family, your friends, your mentors, your President, and your professors.
Before I was a politician, I was a public school teacher. I taught sixth grade Language Arts at Rhodes Middle School on the westside of San Antonio. I often say teaching middle school is the best preparation for politics.
The westside of San Antonio is a beautiful, historic neighborhood and one of the poorest zip codes in Texas, a neighborhood not unlike Highland Hills. My students weren’t just kids; they were survivors, dreamers, fighters. I saw it in their eyes — something unyielding, something unshakable. I see the same thing in your eyes.
As a former teacher, I am so proud of each and every one of you. And I am so honored to be here at Paul Quinn College.
Paul Quinn was not built by politicians. It was built by Black preachers holding classes in church basements and living rooms just seven years after emancipation came to Texas.
For 154 years, Quinnites have been guided by a deep moral commitment to all of God’s children — regardless of their skin color or their zip code.
This place has spiritual roots. This place is rooted in faith, in service, and in love. Today, I want to call you to live out of those roots.
When this school fell on hard times, God sent a teacher, a leader, a visionary — Dr. Michael Sorrell — to pick up the pieces.
Dr. Sorrell returned this school to its roots. He doubled down on serving the poor and the marginalized. He transformed this college into one of the best HBCUs in the country and sparked a revolution in the process.
I’m reminded of the words of scripture: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” In this new world Dr. Sorrell is building, all who have been counted out, who have been left behind, who have been forgotten — the stones the builders rejected — will be the cornerstone. A revolution from below.
Because in the words of Dr. Sorrell himself, “in the history of mankind, how many revolutions have started from above?”
You may not believe that a world rooted in faith, service, and love is possible.
In your short lives, you’ve seen a pandemic and an insurrection, natural disasters and artificial intelligence, mass shootings and mass deportations. All piped through your screen into your soul. You have scrolled through more suffering, more division, more chaos than any generation in human history.
You’ve grown up in an economy that isn’t built for you. The American Dream is on life support.
Then get off your knees and start swingin’.
Congratulations, Class of 2026. God bless you.
