Diddy is Speaking at Howard's Commencement and Receiving an Honorary Degree: Boo Fucking Hoo

For its 146th commencement, my illustrious Alma Mater recently announced who will be receiving [honorary] degrees alongside the class of 2014 come May 10th: "Wolf Blitzer, Clive Callender, Benny Golson Indra K. Nooyi, and the most unexpected of all, Sean 'Diddy' Combs."  There has been a mitigated reaction to the news regarding who will deliver the commencement address: Puff Daddy, P.Diddy, Diddy, an entrepreneur, musician, actor, fashion designer and oscar winner who happens to have dropped out of Howard 24 years ago to intern with New York's Uptown Records pursue his dream. The negative reactions are coming from both outside and within the Howard Community, but it isn't the first time that outsiders jump on what they consider an "issue" just to cast shadow upon the university. I'm not concerned with them.

I remember some people in the class of 2012 being disappointed when Arne Duncan was to give the commencement address at Howard University. You evidently can never please everyone, and people are entitled to their opinions. That's clear. However, if you're part of class of 2014 and have a problem with someone who DIDN'T earn a degree sharing a word or wisdom with you, give me the opportunity to wake you up real quick: The purpose of the graduation speech regarding you graduates, is to give you words of wisdom and encouragement, words that you may rely on to use your degree in order to make the world a better place, and to also improve as a person, a professional or whatever else you aim to be after may 10th. Those words may also serve you when things are not going your way because I'm sure your speaker has had many of those moments.

Diddy went from being a sophomore in college chasing da dream to being the #1 on the Forbes List in the Hip Pop industry. He may no longer drop any good music, or have any bars, (not that Jigga is excelling right now) but the man is worth about 700 Million USD. That's bigger than the University's endowment. Think about that. Now some of you would perhaps have been happier to have Bill Gates (another college dropout) as a commencement speaker supposedly because the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds the education of oh so many minorities in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Before you bring that argument up, let me tell you that Diddy supports the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the i.am Scholarship Fund, and many other non-education related causes. He may not donate to the university yet throws many parties during homecoming, but what he's doing with his money is his business, and absolutely none of yours. This honorary degree may (or may not) prompt him to donate even more. [Ir]Regardless *chuckles* of his philanthropical involvements, Sean Combs epitomizes the well known quote "started from the bottom, now we here," and a college degree is not too far from the bottom, just in case you ever looked down on him in a way for never graduating. He is an example of perseverance, hard work, dedication, good sense of business and entrepreneurship so believe it (or not), he has a thing or two to teach all of us.

Here's the other part of the truth: Most of y'all will be wearing Ray-Bans (or Fay-Bans)  and in a state of Advil-and-Ciroc-Induced slumber due to well deserved level of debaucherie that will certainly happen the night before. You might not even remember the moment Diddy will receive his degree, or whatever message of encouragement he will try to convey, so stop acting all stuck up because you're getting a degree and he never got a chance to do so (but went on and became a multimillionaire!) because whether you approve or not, his fellow member class of 1992, Dr. Wayne Frederick, MD, President of Howard University, will be granting both you AND Sean Combs degrees come may 10th 2014.

If you're really mad, members of class of 2014 and others, non-members of the greater Howard Community, I have two words for you: GROW UP.

All the best.

MJ