Read: Obama delivers H.B.C.U. Commencement Speech

Former President Obama told seniors graduating from historically black colleges and universities Saturday "this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many folks in charge know what they're doing."

Why it matters: Obama's address during the "Show Me Your Walk H.B.C.U. Edition," hosted by comedian and actor Kevin Hart, was the first of two virtual commencement speeches containing criticism of the coronavirus response. Obama used his first public address since the outbreak began to note that "a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country."

Read the full transcript of Obama's speech to HBCU graduates via DocumentCloud below:

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