Obviously, the internet was pretty excited about it. So without further ado, here are some of our favorite responses:

.@POTUS Welcome to Spotify, Mr. President

— Spotify (@Spotify) August 14, 2015

President got me dancing like… #POTUSPlaylist GIF via @mikefarrell pic.twitter.com/6fy9vmyNul

— Jonathan Shariat (@DesignUXUI) August 14, 2015

having a moment because i have a @POTUS who puts @TalibKweli on his official playlist. and ain't too proud to beg. and the isley brothers.

— Maryann James-Daley (@missjames) August 14, 2015

@POTUS You truly are the hippest #POTUS ever!! Keep up the #Groove!

— Jerry Holden (@JerryHoldenCEO) August 14, 2015

#POTUSplaylist https://t.co/jpJ2IZIAuN

— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 14, 2015

Isleys, @TalibKweli, Stones, Howlin Wolf - the @POTUS @spotify playlist is solid: http://t.co/KHV7iqWrHP. And nite is for Nina. Good company

— Okkervil River (@okkervilriver) August 14, 2015

@POTUS wow epic

— Sam Sheffer (@samsheffer) August 14, 2015

@POTUS you are the coolest president ever. U were the one that introduced me years ago to @EspeSpalding. Going to check out your playlist

— CoralMermaid (@CoralMermaid) August 14, 2015

@POTUS great taste in music! Lots of classics in those lists! is good for the soul!

— Mandy Revelle/Bates (@RedBates) August 14, 2015

@POTUS Nice playlist!!! i just discovered Florence and I love that woman!,!

— Raul Arias (@raulariasmtz) August 14, 2015

@POTUS I wish there was a metal or hard rock song in it, would have been awesome imagining you headbang :p

— Sam Guichelaar (@SamGuichelaar) August 14, 2015

Love @POTUS playlist on @spotify Perfect summer tuneage... https://t.co/14wQ1fZS0I Music is a universal language!

— Geoffrey Colon (@djgeoffe) August 14, 2015

@potus the fact that you've got some Okkervil River on that playlist gives me hope for the country. :D

— Kyle Mitchell (@jaggedlines) August 14, 2015

@POTUS Great list @potus. Happy to see Wherever Is Your Heart by @brandicarlile. What about Thunder Road by @springsteen ?

— petesouza (@petesouza) August 14, 2015

@POTUS Rocking out to your jams – and appreciating the hints of sass in their selection, if I am not misinterpreting ; ) @FLOTUS's nxt?!

— Jessica Saint Jean (@saintleighjess) August 14, 2015

In May, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing released their final report setting out concrete proposals to build trust and enhance public safety. And across America, local leaders are working to put these ideas into action in their communities.

The President noted that while progress is being made, these issues go beyond policing, which is why the Administration is committed to achieving broader reforms to the criminal justice system and to making new investments in our children and their future.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

The President reminded us about their struggle and that while our country is a better place because of it, there is still work to be done. He promised to continue to push Congress for new legislation to protect everyone’s right to the polls, and asked that all Americans, regardless of party, use every opportunity possible to exercise the fundamental right to vote.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

Watch on YouTube

Fifty years ago, on August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law — a landmark piece of legislation breaking down barriers across the South that prevented countless African Americans from voting.

This afternoon, President Obama hosted a discussion here at the White House to mark the Act's 50th anniversary, featuring Congressman John Lewis, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry, and others.

If you missed it, watch the President's remarks below, followed by the conversation between Congressman Lewis and Melissa Harris-Perry:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Earlier today, President Obama wrote a post on Medium reflecting on the anniversary, and reiterating the importance of every citizen having an equal opportunity to vote and make their voice heard.

"Fifty years ago," he wrote, "registering to vote across much of the South meant guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar or bubbles on a bar of soap. And while the Voting Rights Act broke down many of the formal and more ridiculous barriers to voting, today — in 2015 — there are still too many barriers to the vote, and too many people trying to erect new barriers to the vote."

The President has called on Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act, and praised those who are coming together around this issue — such as the NAACP, which is mobilizing people for a 40-day march from Selma to D.C. in support of voting rights and other critical issues.

Congressman John Lewis also sent a message to the White House email list this morning, sharing his own experiences from the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and reiterating the need to restore the Act today.

He also implored every citizen to get out and vote whenever they have the opportunity.

"When it comes time to get out and vote," he wrote, "we have to do so. The right to vote is the most powerful nonviolent, transformative tool we have in a democracy, and the least we can do is take full advantage of the opportunity to make our voices heard."

Heroes like @RepJohnLewis, Dr. King, and countless others sacrificed so that all of our voices could be heard. pic.twitter.com/L7kxtWQlYW

— President Obama (@POTUS) August 6, 2015

See more highlights from today's activities at WhiteHouse.gov/Voting-Rights-Act, where you can also learn more about the history of the Voting Rights Act.

P.S. -- Follow along this evening as Congressman Lewis takes over the @WhiteHouse Instagram, sharing photos about how the Voting Rights Act came to be.

 

Hello, I am Congressman John Lewis. In honor of today's 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I'll be taking over the White House Instagram to share some moments that tell the story of how the law came to be, and the fight that lies ahead on removing barriers to voting. During the movement we did not have all of this unbelievable technology. We did not have the internet, or cell phones, or even a fax machine. But we used what we had to organize, and to get our message out. We must use these new resources to bring about a revolution of values, a revolution of ideas, and to build a world at peace with itself. Here you can see several of the Freedom Riders, myself included, sitting together strategizing in Montgomery, AL in 1961. In the upper right you can see James Farmer, the head of CORE and organizer of the Freedom Rides. #VRA50

A photo posted by The White House (@whitehouse) on

Aug 6, 2015 at 1:21pm PDT

"[The Affordable Care Act] literally saved my life."

Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Timothy S. from Saint Paul, Minnesota was forced to drop his health insurance because it was too expensive -- and "essentially worthless."

He recently found out that he had kidney cancer, and needed major surgery in order to remove it.

Fortunately, under the ACA, Timothy qualified for expanded Medicaid in his home state of Minnesota.

"I don't know how I would have been able to afford this if it wasn't for the ACA," he wrote in a letter to the President. "It literally saved my life."

If this story moved you, just remember that it's one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own -- and then make sure someone else hears it, too.

"Everyone should be free to study their passions and pursue goals, chronic illness or not."

Susan F. from Grover Beach, California, wrote the President last November to tell him how she's benefited from the Affordable Care Act.

When she was 17, Susan was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, and her family didn't have health insurance. Although she had a 4.0 GPA and was preparing for college, she used her college savings to instead pay for her medical care.

"What good would education do me," she wrote, "if I lost sight, kidneys, or a leg to diabetes?"

Although she had financial aid for her college education, her medical care required her to work in order to pay her hospital bills. Because of her classes, however, Susan didn't have the time to hold a full-time job. Unable to balance her classwork and the financial burden of her health care, she left school before finishing her biochemistry degree.

"For the rest of my adult life," she wrote, "the insecurity of health care meant inferior jobs with better insurance. I couldn't leave a job for fear of not having insurance again."

But on the first day of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, Susan signed up for Medicaid, and can now afford her medication, as well as expert medical care.

"I am most grateful this Thanksgiving, that in a room full of people with insulin dependent diabetes, I will never hear a story like mine again."

If this story moved you, just remember that it's one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own -- and then make sure someone else hears it, too.

"I am writing to thank you, I believe, for my life."

Last September, Christopher C. from Batesville, Arkansas was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Before the Affordable Care Act, Christopher, who worked for a small business, had no health insurance coverage. Fortunately, because of the protections provided by the ACA, he was able to obtain insurance that kept him out of financial ruin. Since the beginning of 2015, he has been on Medicaid, which has provided him quality coverage as he continued his treatment.

"If I had not had the insurance coverage, there is no way I could have afforded the many weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, the doctor's visits, or the many, many lab and other tests," he wrote in a letter to the President.

In March, Christopher had a PET scan and learned that he was clear of cancer. "There is no guarantee the cancer will not come back," he added, "but for now I am alive and recovering. I believe I owe your hard work for my successful battle with cancer."

If this story moved you, just remember that it's one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own -- and then make sure someone else hears it, too.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the NAACP Convention in Philadelphia, Pa., July 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Watch on YouTube

Yesterday, the President traveled to Philadelphia to address the NAACP's 106th national convention. In his remarks, he laid out the reasons why we need to reform America's criminal justice system, and why we need to invest in our communities and expand opportunity for all Americans.

A quick look at the numbers:

• 2.2 million: The number of prisoners in the U.S. -- which has quadrupled from only 500,000 in 1980.
• 25 percent: The share of the world's prisoners that are in the U.S., even though we're only home to 5 percent of the world's population.
• 60 percent: The share of U.S. prisoners that are either African American or Latino. "About one in every 35 African American men, one in every 88 Latino men is serving time right now," the President said. "Among white men, that number is one in 214."
• $80 billion: The amount we spend each year to keep people incarcerated in America. For $80 billion, we could:
  • Provide universal preschool for every 3-year-old and 4-year-old in America
  • Double the salary of every high school teacher in America
  • Finance new roads, bridges, and airports; job training programs; research and development
  • Eliminate tuition at every one of our public colleges and universities

As the President noted, today's criminal justice system "remains particularly skewed by race and by wealth," and has adverse ripple effects on our country's families and communities:

A growing body of research shows that people of color are more likely to be stopped, frisked, questioned, charged, detained. African Americans are more likely to be arrested. They are more likely to be sentenced to more time for the same crime. And one of the consequences of this is, around one million fathers are behind bars. Around one in nine African American kids has a parent in prison.

What is that doing to our communities? What’s that doing to those children? Our nation is being robbed of men and women who could be workers and taxpayers, could be more actively involved in their children’s lives, could be role models, could be community leaders, and right now they’re locked up for a non-violent offense.

"Mass incarceration makes our entire country worse off, and we need to do something about it." —@POTUS http://t.co/02KRTen3uf

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 15, 2015

What we're doing to reduce the federal prison population:

President Obama and his Administration have taken a number of steps already to reduce America's federal prison population, including:

• Signing the Fair Sentencing Act -- a bill that reduced the 100-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and eliminated the mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack cocaine.
• The Justice Department's "Smart on Crime" initiative, in which federal prosecutors are refocusing efforts on the worst offenders, and pursuing mandatory minimum sentences 20 percent less often than they did the previous year.
• Commuting the sentences of dozens of people sentenced under old and unfair drug laws. Nearly all of these people would have already finished serving their time if they had been convicted today of the same crime.

Last year, in fact, America's crime rate and incarceration rate both went down at the same time, for the first time in 40 years.

An audience member raises a hand as President Barack Obama finishes his closing remarks at the NAACP Convention in Philadelphia, Pa., July 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Principles for future reform:

As the President noted, "we're just at the beginning of this process, and we need to make sure that we stay with it." He then laid out the three key areas in which we need to focus on reform: the community, the courtroom, and the cell block.

The community

"The best time to stop [crime] is before it even starts," President Obama said, reiterating the need to invest in America's children. "If we make investments early in our children, we will reduce the need to incarcerate those kids."

One study shows that for every dollar that we invest in preschool, we save at least twice that over the long run in crime reduction. And summer jobs for teenagers are only a fraction of the cost of incarceration down the road.

We also have to continue to build trust between law enforcement and the communities that they are obligated to protect and serve. That's why, last December, the President launched the Task Force on 21st Century Policing to strengthen community-police relationships across the country. The Task Force included members of law enforcement, community members, activists, and others to figure out ways to ensure that policing is more effective, more accountable, and more unbiased. Read their final recommendations here.

The courtroom

The President reiterated that we need to shorten the mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, or eliminate them entirely.

For nonviolent drug crimes, we need to lower long mandatory minimum sentences -- or get rid of them entirely. Give judges some discretion around nonviolent crimes so that, potentially, we can steer a young person who has made a mistake in a better direction. 

We should pass a sentencing reform bill through Congress this year. We need to ask prosecutors to use their discretion to seek the best punishment, the one that's going to be most effective, instead of just the longest punishment. We should invest in alternatives to prison, like drug courts and treatment and probation programs -- which ultimately can save taxpayers thousands of dollars per defendant each year.

The cell block

Although imprisoned people have made mistakes, we have an obligation to increase the possibility that they can get their lives back on the right track. And part of that starts with fixing the conditions of our prisons, and offering more job training for inmates.

"We want to be in a position in which if somebody in the midst of imprisonment recognizes the error of their ways, is in the process of reflecting about where they’ve been and where they should be going, we’ve got to make sure that they’re in a position to make the turn."

President Obama noted that we shouldn't tolerate conditions in our prisons that "have no place in any civilized country" -- such as overcrowding, gang activity, or rape. The President has also asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch to start a review of the overuse of solitary confinement in our prisons, which is often more likely to make inmates more alienated, hostile, and violent.

We need to expand access to opportunity

Although the President spent the bulk of his time addressing the need to reform our criminal justice system, he added that we can't view this problem in isolation.

It's unfair to put the entire burden on our police officers, our courtroom prosecutors, our judges, and our prison guards -- we have to invest in our communities, and we have to invest in expanding opportunity for all.

Mothers of black sons face the bleak reality that only half their babies grow up to be employed at age 25. pic.twitter.com/0Tnz98R3qj

— Betsey Stevenson (@CEABetsey) July 14, 2015

As the President pointed out, a black man born 25 years ago has only a roughly 50 percent chance of being employed today. More than one in three black children today are growing up in poverty. And the unemployment rate for African Americans today is 9.5 percent.

"When America’s unemployment rate was 9.5 percent, when I first came into office, as it was going up, we properly recognized this is a crisis," the President said. "Right now, the unemployment rate among African Americans is 9.5 percent. What should we call that? It is a crisis. And we have to be just as concerned about continuing to lift up job opportunities for these young people."

"Justice is not only the absence of oppression, it is the presence of opportunity. Justice is giving every child a shot at a great education no matter what zip code they’re born into. Justice is giving everyone willing to work hard the chance at a good job with good wages, no matter what their name is, what their skin color is, where they live."

Dig deeper:

• Read the President's full remarks at the NAACP national convention
• Read a new report on the barriers that disadvantaged youth face, particularly young men of color, and the enormous costs this poses to the U.S. economy
• Listen to a conversation on ways we can improve community policing
• See why the President is taking steps to demilitarize local police forces

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, July 10, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

In this week's address, the President discussed a new rule announced by his Administration earlier this week to make it easier for communities to implement the Fair Housing Act.

For nearly 50 years, the Fair Housing Act has prohibited landlords from turning away tenants because of race, religion, sex, national origin, or disability, and has made a big difference in this country. This week, the Administration announced new steps to provide communities with the tools they need to ensure that housing is fair, and that no American’s destiny is determined by a zip code.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

Watch on YouTube

"We are here today to remember a man of God who lived by faith. A man who believed in things not seen. A man who believed there were better days ahead, off in the distance. A man of service who persevered, knowing full well he would not receive all those things he was promised, because he believed his efforts would deliver a better life for those who followed."

-- President Obama, on the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney

Today, President Obama traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to honor the life of pastor and state senator Clementa Pinckney -- one of the nine who lost their lives in last week's shooting at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

President Barack Obama delivers the eulogy at the funeral of Reverend Clementa Pinckney at the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., June 26, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

In his eulogy, the President highlighted just how much Reverend Pinckney accomplished during his 41 years of life -- being in the pulpit at age 13, a pastor at age 18, and a public servant at age 23.

"He did not exhibit any of the cockiness of youth, nor youth's insecurities," the President said. "Instead, he set an example worthy of his position, wise beyond his years, in his speech, in his conduct, in his love, faith, and purity."

"As a nation, out of this terrible tragedy, God has visited grace upon us, for he has allowed us to see where we’ve been blind."

President Obama emphasized that even in the midst of our sadness, this tragedy has "allowed us to see where we've been blind." It made clear how the Confederate flag has been a "reminder of systematic oppression and racial subjugation." It reminded us how gun violence inflicts a "unique mayhem" on our nation. It spotlighted how past injustices continue to shape our present actions.

"Guard against the subtle impulse to call Johnny back for a job interview, but not Jamal" —@POTUS in Charleston http://t.co/qcUl5NnYQs

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 26, 2015

"It would be a betrayal of everything Reverend Pinckney stood for," the President added, "if we allowed ourselves to slip into a comfortable silence again -- once the eulogies have been delivered and the TV cameras have moved on."

"If we can find that grace, anything is possible. If we can tap that grace, everything can change."

As the President noted, Reverend Pinckney understood that "justice grows out of recognition of ourselves in each other. That my liberty depends on you being free, too. That history can’t be a sword to justify injustice, or a shield against progress, but must be a manual for how to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past -- how to break the cycle. A roadway toward a better world. He knew that the path of grace involves an open mind -- but, more importantly, an open heart."

Today wasn't simply a funeral service for a pastor and a politician. It was a celebration of life, a reminder of the work we have left to do, and encouragement to keep pushing forward.

“May God continue to shed His grace on the United States of America." —@POTUS http://t.co/14Z3HnNi8v

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 26, 2015

Read the full eulogy here.

More than one important decision from the Supreme Court today that's worth noting → pic.twitter.com/WPuh8y8cZC

This morning, the Supreme Court ruled to preserve a critical tool that helps prevent housing discrimination.

In a 5-4 vote, the Court ruled that disparate-impact claims can be filed under the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Under the disparate-impact doctrine, a policy can be considered discriminatory if it has a disproportionately adverse impact against any group of people, based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

As Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was created to eliminate discriminatory housing practices, such as "zoning laws and other housing restrictions that function unfairly to exclude minorities from certain neighborhoods" without sufficient justification.

"Recognition of disparate-impact claims," he added, "is consistent with the FHA's central purpose."

Today's decision strengthens the bipartisan commitment made in 1968 — and again with the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 — to ensuring that Americans are protected from housing discrimination.

Learn more about the Fair Housing Act here.

A number of senior Administration officials also voiced their support for today's ruling:

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro:

Today is another important step in the long march toward fulfilling one of our nation’s founding ideals: equal opportunity for all Americans. The Supreme Court has made it clear that HUD can continue to use this critical tool to eliminate the unfair barriers that have deferred and derailed too many dreams. Working with our partners on the ground, we will continue to do all we can to build a housing market that treats all Americans with basic dignity and respect.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch:

I am pleased that the Supreme Court has affirmed that the Fair Housing Act encompasses disparate impact claims, which are an essential tool for realizing the Act’s promise of fair and open access to housing opportunities for all Americans. While our nation has made tremendous progress since the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968, disparate impact claims remain an all-too-necessary mechanism for rooting out discrimination in housing and lending. By recognizing that laws, policies and practices with unjustified discriminatory effects are inconsistent with the Fair Housing Act, today’s decision lends support to hardworking Americans who are attempting to find good housing opportunities for themselves and their families. Bolstered by this important ruling, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act with every tool at its disposal – including challenges based on unfair and unacceptable discriminatory effects.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest:

The Court’s decision affirms that the Fair Housing Act enables Americans to challenge not only laws, policies, and practices that are intentionally discriminatory, but also those that have an unjustified discriminatory effect.

Too many Americans are victims of more subtle forms of discrimination, such as predatory lending, exclusionary zoning, and development policies that limit affordable housing. This decision reflects the reality that discrimination often operates not just out in the open, but in more hidden forms. And, it preserves a longstanding and important method for challenging and eliminating those practices and continuing the work to end discrimination in housing.

Now that the Supreme Court has reaffirmed this vital principle, it’s time to fully implement it throughout the nation. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will work with housing providers as well as cities, towns, and communities around the country to protect housing choice, free from discrimination.

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Map Room of the White House, June 18, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

In this week's address, the President spoke to his priority of growing the economy and opening new avenues of opportunity for hardworking Americans. While the United States has already made economic progress, with more than 12 million new private-sector jobs created over the past five years, there’s still more to be done.

That’s why the President has continued to press for strong, high-standard trade agreements that are good for American workers and good for American businesses. And it’s why his Administration has partnered with mayors and governors across the country on issues such as minimum wage and paid leave that impact hardworking Americans. The President discussed impactful initiatives like these in his address before the Conference of Mayors on Friday.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

President Barack Obama makes remarks before the U.S. Conference of Mayors in San Francisco, Calif., June 19, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Earlier this afternoon, President Obama addressed the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in San Francisco.

At the beginning of his remarks, the President took a moment to discuss this week's shooting in Charleston -- noting that the "apparent motivations of the shooter remind us that racism remains a blight that we have to combat together."

He went on to explain how these types of tragedies have become too commonplace in our society, and that it's past time for us to enact common-sense gun safety reforms.

"It is not good enough simply to show sympathy." —@POTUS on the need to take steps to reduce gun violence http://t.co/J0dvsEtLMz

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 19, 2015

"It is not good enough simply to show sympathy. You don't see murder on this kind of scale with this kind of frequency in any other advanced nation on Earth. Every country has violent, hateful, or mentally unstable people. What's different is not every country is awash with easily accessible guns. And so I refuse to act as if this is the new normal."

-- President Obama

The President also highlighted some of the great progress across the country on issues such as:

• Early childhood education: Seattle (under Mayor Ed Murray) just passed universal pre-K, and Indianapolis (under Republican Mayor Greg Ballard) is starting citywide preschool scholarships. Across the country, 34 states have increased funding for preschool, helping give more young people the early education they need for lifelong success.
• Job creation: Eleven cities have joined the "Startup in a Day" initiative, which helps entrepreneurs apply for all the necessary license and permits to start a business in a single day. Twenty-one communities have signed up for the TechHire initiative, which helps train workers for tomorrow's high-skill, high-wage jobs.
• Strengthening our communities: More than 230 local and tribal leaders have joined the My Brother's Keeper (MBK) initiative, and are taking steps to help young people in communities across the country.

But he implored the mayors not to stop now, "because we’ve still got a lot more work to do." Two of the main issues he highlighted were rebuilding infrastructure, and fighting climate change.

On infrastructure:

We can keep paying the costs of patching over our existing infrastructure -- more expensive, less efficient, leading to higher commute times, more waste. That’s an option. Or we can create tens of thousands of jobs right now building a 21st century infrastructure that makes us competitive well into the 21st century.

That’s what we need to do. We just got to convince Congress to make it happen. And I need mayors to help, from all across the country. Put some pressure on Congress to get this done.

On climate change:

We’ve got to keep pushing to prepare for the impacts of climate change -- because it’s science.  It’s a fact.  It’s like gravity.

A lot of cities have gone far ahead of states on this issue -- along with states. You’re making a difference right now. You’re not waiting for Congress.  Mayor Roy Buol is here from Dubuque, Iowa. They’ve set a target to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent from 2003 levels by the end of the next decade. Just met with Governor Jerry Brown. He’s talking about how California, which so often has been a leader on environmental issues, is looking to partner and make a difference internationally.

"It's science. It's fact. It's like gravity." —@POTUS to the @USMayors on the need to #ActOnClimate pic.twitter.com/d4zG5nD7MK

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 19, 2015

Read the President's full remarks here.

Watch the following excerpt, in which President Obama explains how every child matters, regardless of their circumstances:

"I want every young man who sees me to know that I'm not that different from them," the President says in the documentary. "I wasn't born into wealth. I wasn't born into fame. I made a lot of mistakes -- but I kept at it."

Discovery is hosting a hub of information related to the documentary and initiative at Discovery.com/MyBrothersKeeper, and is currently hosting a pre-premiere of the documentary on Facebook before Sunday’s on-air debut.

President Barack Obama walks with mentees on the South Lawn of the White House, Oct. 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Tell us: How are you your brother's keeper?

Share with us how you are your brother's keeper — whether you're tutoring a young person at a local high school, or helping them with their college application. Or share a simple story of how someone helped you get a leg up at an early age, or how someone you looked up to helped you get ahead.

Make sure to also join the conversation online and share your stories or videos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #MyBrothersKeeper — and we'll feature some of your stories right here on WhiteHouse.gov and on White House social media channels over the coming days.

I'm #MyBrothersKeeper bc folks helped mentor me/keep me safe. It's my honor/opportunity to do the same for next gen. https://t.co/bAlraQCWhn

— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) June 19, 2015

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and his regiment arrived in Galveston, Texas to share one message: The Civil War had ended, and all enslaved African Americans were now free because President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. 

But here's the thing: It had been more than two years since the document was signed, but enslaved people in Texas would not know of the end of the war, or their freedom, until Granger’s men arrived to enforce the President’s order. 

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them became that between employer and free laborer.”

— General Order Number 3

Since then, our nation has celebrated this milestone in the fight for freedom and equality of African Americans as Juneteenth. 

Juneteenth is a remarkable holiday for many reasons, none more potent than the substantial grassroots effort undertaken to convince the newly freed African Americans to turn a day of confusion, flight, and resistance into one of celebration and community. The announcement by General Granger was met with resistance from plantation owners and hesitation from newly freed African Americans unsure of their next move. The Freedmen’s Bureau took the lead in claiming June 19 as a day for African Americans across the nation to celebrate freedom from bondage and inspire continued efforts in the struggle for equal rights in the post-Civil War era.

Though it is the oldest-known celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth remains an unofficial holiday at the national level. Many states, including Texas, have recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday, but its popularity and reach have fluctuated over the years. Today, Juneteenth has since seen a resurgence in popularity as the African American community, and all Americans have recognized the day as a celebration of freedom and achievement in our quest for a more perfect union. 

In the halls of the West Wing, you can find a painting by William Carlton. Watch Meeting-Dec. 31st 1862-Waiting for the Hour was handpicked by President Obama to hang just outside of the Oval Office. The painting depicts a group of enslaved African Americans watching the clock, waiting for the hour of their freedom. 

Watch White House Curator Bill Allman give more insight into the painting and the story it tells:

While this Juneteenth serves as a time to celebrate a symbolic milestone in the struggle for equal rights, it also serves as a reminder of the work that remains to guarantee liberty and equality for all Americans. 

The Statue of Liberty is pictured during the flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, N.Y., July 17, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me."

— Emma Lazarus

The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, made its way to America on June 17, 1885. The French people, in honor of the alliance between the two countries during the American Revolution, presented the statue to recognize America as a champion of liberty and encourage the French to support the same ideals.

When the statue arrived at New York Harbor, it was housed in 214 crates. After four months, the 350 puzzle pieces were reassembled into the 151-foot tall icon, finding a home on Liberty Island.

Lady Liberty by the numbers:

• 8 feet: The length of her index finger
• 7 rays: The number of rays on her crown, representing the seven seas and continents of the world
• 6 inches: The distance the torch can sway in high winds

Construction of the Statue of Liberty, showing the statue in scaffolding, man with the flame, man with the foot, and head-and-shoulders portrait of Frederic Bartholdi. (Library of Congress)

The sculpture, forged by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, is officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World and is widely recognized as a symbol of freedom and democracy. The statue holds a tablet in her left hand, engraved with the date July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals, which highlights her role as a representation of American independence. She embodies the ancient Roman goddess Libertas, who signifies sovereignty. Hidden beneath her drapes, a broken chain and shackle remain at her right foot, showcasing a commitment to ending oppression.

"We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."

— President Grover Cleveland, October 28, 1886, Statue of Liberty inaugural speech

Just seven years after the statue was constructed, Ellis Island Immigration Station opened as the main Atlantic point of entrance to America. Lady Liberty literally welcomed more than 12 million immigrants to the United States, sharing a vision of freedom and opportunity. After immigrants traveled thousands of miles across the Atlantic, they were greeted by the empowering image and reminded of the determination and resilience of the American people.

"Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, Manhattan,” ca 1984. (Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress)

The Statue of Liberty now stands as a National Park in the state of New York. To learn more about the Statue of Liberty and National Parks in your home state, find your park here.

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Earlier today, President Obama took part in a ceremony honoring the D.C.-area high school students in this year's White House Mentorship and Leadership Program.

The students have participated in a number of activities over the past year, ranging from résumé workshops in the Roosevelt Room to pick-up basketball games with the President on the White House basketball court. One of the students, who wants to become the U.S. Attorney General one day, had the opportunity to shadow former Attorney General Eric Holder.

The President said the year was "a great, mutual learning relationship between me and these outstanding young people," calling it "a privilege" to hear about the lives, hopes, and dreams of these young men of color.

"They know they’re going to face some obstacles along the way, sometimes some discouragement, because all too often the world underestimates young men like these. They know that their stories and their success can also help change the narrative."

— President Obama

President Barack Obama congratulates each of the mentees following his remarks at the Mentorship and Leadership graduation ceremony in the Blue Room of the White House, June 15, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama also gave a special shoutout to the program's graduating seniors -- each one of whom will be heading to college this fall. He went on to explain that we're in the process of expanding the mentee program through My Brother's Keeper, to help more young people, particularly boys and young men of color, succeed.

"We're trying to expand this all across the country, because what we know is when we give outstanding young people like this a chance, they can succeed," the President said. "They just need a little bit of help. They just need a little bit of encouragement. Maybe a contact here or two. A mentor who is willing to show them the ropes. Somebody who is helping them to set their sights high." 

"Although they will not be White House mentees after this class, they will always be part of my family and those mentors in our administration who are with them."

— President Obama

Read the President's full remarks, and learn more about the My Brother's Keeper initiative here.

So proud of these White House mentorship grads. Can't wait to see all the great things you achieve. I believe in you! pic.twitter.com/ao6k8ErjHI

— President Obama (@POTUS) June 15, 2015

Eight hundred years ago today, King John of England sealed the Magna Carta, a groundbreaking legal document that served as the foundation for our constitutional democracy.

Magna Carta, 1297: Widely viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy. On display in the new David M. Rubenstein Gallery. Presented courtesy of David M. Rubenstein. (National Archives)

A new political order

In the midst of ever-increasing conflict between the King and barons of the 13th century, the Magna Carta established individual liberties, forcing the King to recognize the rights of citizens.

Although the “Great Charter” itself was a failure, unable to resolve the clashes between the two parties, it set the standards for good governance in centuries to come. America’s forefathers centered our founding documents on the values of the Magna Carta, inspired by its dedication to the defense of liberty.

"The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history... It was written in Magna Carta."

— President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1941 inaugural address

Liberty through law

While the Magna Carta itself focused on a list of demands and grievances which are hardly relevant in 2015, the following two principles endure to this day, mirrored in our own Constitution:

"No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."

"To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice."

As the cornerstone for the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Magna Carta piloted the idea of asserting one’s rights as an individual. The Fifth Amendment directly originated from this text, guaranteeing due process to all Americans. Ultimately, the Magna Carta’s ideals of freedom and justice have steered America through a prosperous history.

800th anniversary

Celebrating Law Day last month, President Obama reflected on the significance of the Magna Carta and the rule of law in America:

“Centuries ago, when kings, emperors, and warlords reigned over much of the world, it was this extraordinary document — agreed to by the King of England in 1215 — that first spelled out the rights and liberties of man. The ideals of the Magna Carta inspired America's forefathers to define and protect many of the rights expressed in our founding documents, which we continue to cherish today.”

— President Obama

In honor of the 800th anniversary, an original 1297 Magna Carta — one of four surviving copies — is on display at the National Archives. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales made a historic visit to the National Archives to view the document.

The National Archives had a historic visit from HRH The Prince of Wales. The prince saw the 1297 Magna Carta with Archivist of the United States David Ferriero and A'lelia Bundles, President of the Foundation for the National Archives. (National Archives)

Check out some other "This Day in History" posts on:

• The creation of Head Start
• The National Anthem
• The Gettysburg Address
• The White House Easter Egg Roll

Check out what you may have missed in this week’s wrap up. 

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

President Obama traveled this Memorial Day to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia to commemorate those members of our armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. Keeping with tradition, President Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before making remarks to the audience gathered at the site. 

"The Americans who rest beneath these beautiful hills, and in sacred ground across our country and around the world -- they are why our nation endures," the President said. "Each simple stone marker, arranged in perfect military precision, signifies the cost of our blessings. It is a debt we can never fully repay."

Watch on YouTube

Big Plans for Small Streams

On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army announced a finalized Clean Water Rule, protecting streams and wetlands that provide clean drinking water for 117 million Americans. From recreation to agriculture, clean water is of vital importance to all Americans -- which is why we think that #CleanWaterRules.

1 in 3 Americans get water from streams & wetlands that lacked clear protections - until yesterday. #CleanWaterRules pic.twitter.com/gMvNw9howt

— Gina McCarthy (@GinaEPA) May 27, 2015

Share with us why clean water is important to you, and join the conversation using #CleanWaterRules on social media.

“Rise above the noise”

On Monday, the First Lady gave a commencement address to the Class of 2015 at Oberlin College in Ohio. Oberlin won the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative’s “Near-Peer Mentoring College” Challenge, which encouraged institutes of higher education to share the ways they are helping high school students in their area through videos. 

“Play your part in our great American story.” —The First Lady to @OberlinCollege graduates: http://t.co/FGcWSDfZNo pic.twitter.com/RXgpCZUc0A

— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) May 26, 2015

In other FLOTUS news, Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza dubbed the First Lady the “Hugger-in-Chief” this week, recalling how she has greeted everyone with a hug since day one. Check out go.wh.gov/HuggerInChief for a series of huggable photos like this one: 

The #HuggerInChief? Move over @POTUS. @FLOTUS takes the title: http://t.co/pDAkZtwbDS pic.twitter.com/A9FswXfBCh

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 27, 2015

@POTUS Answered Your Climate Questions

On Thursday, President Obama was briefed on the upcoming hurricane season at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. Immediately after, @POTUS took to Twitter to answer your questions on climate change using #AskPOTUS. After answering questions from engaged citizens on topics including climate, trade, and basketball, President Obama ended his first-ever Twitter Q&A asking followers how they plan to #ActOnClimate. 

Check out some highlights: 

.@NathenVieira jr smith having a great season but the heart of the Cavs is Lebron. And no one can outshoot Curry - maybe Korver if wide open

— President Obama (@POTUS) May 28, 2015

.@arianastover Kids instinctively understand importance of environment, impact on animals, health. Weave it into science and social studies

— President Obama (@POTUS) May 28, 2015

To see more of this week’s events, watch the latest episode of the West Wing Week below: 

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President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 22, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

In this week’s address, the President commemorated Memorial Day by paying tribute to the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in service to our country.

The President will spend the first Memorial Day since the end of the war in Afghanistan at Arlington Cemetery, remembering the more than 2,200 American patriots who gave their lives in that conflict, as well as all of our fallen soldiers. The President asked that all Americans spend Monday honoring the memory and sacrifice of those heroes, and remain committed to the cause of freedom and the country for which they fought. 

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

Yesterday's conversation participants included:

• Roy Austin, Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, Justice, and Opportunity
• Brittany Packnett, Member of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
• DJ Patil, U.S. Chief Data Scientist
• David Wilkinson, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

During the call, they highlighted new steps we're taking to improve community-police relations through the use of open data, demilitarizing local police forces, and other recommendations from the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

The participants also answered some questions that petition signers submitted in advance of the call -- questions such as what we can achieve by looking at police data on a national level, or how we can change the view of the community to one where police are seen as "guardians" instead of "occupiers."

If you missed yesterday's call, you can listen to the full discussion below. (And if you want to be in the loop about future events like this, make sure to visit We the People and add your voice by creating or signing a petition.)

On the Task Force on 21st Century Policing:

On the Police Data Initiative:

Question 1:

"Would it be possible to regulate police nationwide with the same standards we regulate our military through the UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice] or similar legal framework?" — David S.

Question 2:

"What do you think data scientists will be able to achieve by looking at, and having access to, police data on a national level?" — James H.

Question 3:

"Regarding the use of open data, how can you assure quality when the real possibility of partial data exists?" — Malarie K.

Question 4:

"Many in minority communities see the police force, even with increased minority representation, as "occupying armies." How do we change the view of the community to one where the police are seen as "guardians" as opposed to "occupiers"?" — Michael O.

Question 5:

"How can we communicate the perspectives of each side to the other side (community perspectives on law enforcement and vice versa)?" — Anjelica S.

Now, dig deeper:

• Fact sheet: "Creating Opportunity for All Through Stronger, Safer Communities"
• Final report and recommendations from the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing
• Launch of the Police Data Initiative
• Final report from the Law Enforcement Equipment Working Group
• The Department of Justice's national body-worn camera toolkit
• President Obama's remarks to youth and law enforcement in Camden, NJ

Lady Bird Johnson attends the ceremony for National Head Start Day, June 30, 1965. Front row, left to right: Timothy Shriver, Robert Shriver, Danny Kaye, Lady Bird Johnson, Mrs. Lou Maginn (Director of a HeadStart project in East Fairfield, Vermont), Sargent Shriver. (LBJ Presidential Library)

Lady Bird Johnson attends the ceremony for National Head Start Day, June 30, 1965. Front row, left to right: Timothy Shriver, Robert Shriver, Danny Kaye, Lady Bird Johnson, Mrs. Lou Maginn (Director of a HeadStart project in East Fairfield, Vermont), Sargent Shriver. (LBJ Presidential Library)

Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson created Head Start — a program to help meet the emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs of preschool-aged children from low-income families.

In his State of the Union address in 1964, President Johnson declared a "War on Poverty." Soon after, Sargent Shriver, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity from 1964 to 1968, brought together experts to develop a child development program to help communities meet the needs of disadvantaged preschool children.

Since its creation in 1965, Head Start has provided comprehensive child development services for 32 million children — services that foster children’s growth in social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development, and monitor their progress in these areas to ensure that they are well prepared for kindergarten.

Frank “Pancho” Mansera, the young star of the short film “Pancho,” attends a screening in the East Room of the White House, March 13, 1967. The film, produced by the Office of Educational Opportunity, was aimed at promoting the President’s educational initiatives, especially Head Start. (LBJ Presidential Library)

"I believe that this is one of the most constructive, and one of the most sensible, and also one of the most exciting programs that this nation has ever undertaken."

— President Lyndon B. Johnson on the Head Start program, May 18, 1965

Fifty years later, President Obama said in a statement today, "For millions of families, Head Start has been a lifeline. And for millions of kids, it’s been the start of a better life."

Read more about the steps the President's taking to expand access to high-quality early childhood education.

Today we commemorate 50 years of #HeadStart. A look back at how the Office of Economic Opportunity promoted it: https://t.co/7izDnX8q8O

— LBJ Library (@LBJLibrary) May 18, 2015

What's next:

As the President said in a Proclamation this morning, he's called on Congress to give every child in America access to high-quality preschool and full-day kindergarten — but is also calling on all Americans to make their own commitments to support our next generation.

"On this 50th anniversary," the President said, "our challenge is to make Head Start even stronger, and to help more children and families benefit from its good work."

A moment of zen:

Earlier this year, President Obama dropped by the Community Children's Center — a Head Start center in Lawrence, Kansas — and took some time to talk with some of the kids there.

Take a look at this behind-the-scenes video — you'll be glad you did:

Watch on YouTube

You should also see:

• "Celebrating 50 Years of Head Start" — an op-ed from Secretary Sylvia Burwell
• President's Johnson remarks on the creation of Head Start, May 18, 1965
• How to apply for Head Start

Abramson says that the tensions that have recently erupted in communities such as Ferguson and Baltimore are not solely tied to policing, but are also linked to the lack of economic opportunity. He also details a number of the efforts that President Obama is taking to expand opportunity for more Americans.

Make sure to tune in today at 11:30 a.m. ET to watch the President's discussion at Georgetown University about poverty and opportunity -- and share with us how these issues are playing out in your own community, and how you think we can continue expanding opportunity for more Americans. (And if you didn't get the email, sign up for updates here.)

From Ferguson and Staten Island to North Charleston and Baltimore, our nation has been moved -- to conversation and debate, protest and action -- by images of tragic encounters between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

But as the President has made clear, these issues are not new, and every mayor (or former mayor, like me) can attest that what we are witnessing in cities across America is not only about policing.

This is also about opportunity.

Everyone should be empowered by the country they call home. Unfortunately, in America, too many young people are limited by the zip code into which they are born. The President doesn't treat this conversation as one to be had only every few months surrounding the latest tragedy captured on camera and replayed on the news.

Tell us how these issues are playing out in your own community, and how you think we can continue expanding opportunity for more Americans.

(And make sure to tune in to WhiteHouse.gov/Live today at 11:30 a.m. ET as the President sits down for a special discussion at Georgetown University about poverty and opportunity.)

As the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for President Obama, I've seen firsthand the steady, focused efforts he is taking to expand opportunity for more Americans.

Since the day he took office, the President has worked to address these issues in important ways: restoring economic security to hard-hit American families; building stronger neighborhoods and communities; protecting and defending the civil rights of all Americans; ensuring young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential; expanding access to college; and expanding access to affordable, quality health care.

But our work is far from over.

Here are just a few specific examples of the actions the President is taking, working in coordination at state, city, county, and tribal levels. (The White House released a detailed list here.)

In 2010, the President created the Choice Neighborhoods program, which has provided more than $300 million to plan and implement the transformation of high-poverty areas in sustainable, mixed-income neighborhoods with services, schools, transportation, and access to jobs. It also expanded the neighborhood Stabilization Program, which has provided $7 billion in funding to communities to manage vacant and foreclosed properties.

For every federal dollar spent, Choice Neighborhoods has attracted seven dollars of private and other investment and has developed nearly 10,000 units of mixed-income housing in 12 communities.

This is just one of the many ways this administration is working to be a better partner to local leaders working to improve the quality of life in their communities. In fact, in the past six years we have initiated dozens of locally led efforts reaching 1,234 communities to improve economic conditions, schools, build businesses and make communities more resilient against climate change.

One of these efforts built in partnership with communities across the country is "My Brother's Keeper" (MBK). This initiative launched last year to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. And through the MBK Community Challenge, more than 150 city, county, and tribal leaders are joining with diverse stakeholders to implement their own strategies to help more young Americans get ahead.

The President also signed an Executive Order to create the Task Force on 21st Century Policing last year, part of the Administration's efforts to strengthen trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve and protect while enhancing public safety. The task force developed constructive, concrete proposals that -- if adopted -- would make an important difference.

President Obama also raised the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,775 for the 2015-16 award year -- a more than $1,000 increase since the 2008-2009 school year, helping more than 8 million Americans a year afford college. This year, the President has proposed new investments to ensure the maximum Pell Grant keeps up with the cost of inflation.

The most important path out of poverty is a job, and American businesses have added more than 12 million new jobs over the last 62 months, the longest streak on record. Our recovery from the Great Recession was hardest for those who were already struggling, but the President's decisive actions have helped lift millions of families out of poverty.

The Administration's measures, including the Making Work Pay tax credit, strengthening unemployment and SNAP benefits, launching a rapid rehousing project and expanding eligibility of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, helped keep between 3.9 million and 5.7 million families per year out of poverty during the recovery.

In fact, in 2013, more than 1.1 million Americans were lifted out of poverty, led by the largest one-year drop in child poverty since 1966. This reduced the poverty rate significantly, by a half a percentage point.

We're seeing real results. But there's more work to do. The President knows that expanding opportunity isn't just a moral responsibility for all Americans -- it's an economic imperative for our nation. Here's why:

When children grow up in poverty, it costs our nation half a trillion dollars in lost wages, productivity, and other costs each year, roughly the equivalent of 4 percent of GDP.

The President likes to remind his team that our time in the White House represents our best chance to do the most good for the most people. And the best thing we can do is continue to expand opportunities so that every American has the same chance the President did -- to use their talent, drive, and work ethic to determine their own future. But this work can only be done in partnership with individuals and communities ready to make change in their own neighborhoods.

That's what the President's been focused on since day one, and it's what we'll be working on until the last day we're here. And we need your help to get it done.

Share with us some of the issues you're seeing in your community, and tell us how you think we can keep working to expand opportunity for more Americans.

Thanks,

Jerry

"You literally saved my life."

When Sarah M. from Antelope, CA turned 26, she was no longer covered under her family’s health insurance plan. She then got a job that gave her a "limited" health care plan, with a care coverage limit of $10,000.

When Sarah lost that limited coverage, she applied for Covered California and enrolled in Medi-Cal coverage.

Shortly after getting covered under Medi-Cal, Sarah got a pap smear, which came back irregular. The follow-up biopsy revealed that Sarah had cervical cancer. Luckily, because she was still in the pre-cancer stage, the doctors were able to remove the abnormal cells.

"If you had not created Obamacare, I would never have caught it early, and would likely be suffering," Sarah wrote the President this past February. She says that the law "saved my life from cancer. I did not have to have chemotherapy and expensive bills to manage my care, because of you."

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done."

Watch on YouTube

This past Saturday, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2015 at Tuskegee University -- a historically black university in Tuskegee, Alabama. Founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881, Tuskegee is the only university in America to be designated as a National Historic Site.

In her remarks, the First Lady detailed Tuskegee's rich history -- spotlighting a number of the distinguished alumni that have previously walked the university's halls -- and encouraged the current class of graduates to not be intimidated by the legacy of their predecessors, or the expectations of others.

Mrs. Obama explained that she understood that kind of pressure herself -- not only as a First Lady, but as the first African American First Lady of the United States.

"I didn’t start out as the fully formed First Lady who stands before you today. No, no, I had my share of bumps along the way."

"Eventually," she said, "I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity and not let others define me, there was only one thing I could do, and that was to have faith in God’s plan for me. I had to ignore all of the noise and be true to myself -- and the rest would work itself out."

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in the Tuskegee University class of 2015 commencement ceremony in Tuskegee, Ala., May 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Mrs. Obama also detailed the obligation that she felt to make the "biggest impact possible" with the platform that comes with being the First Lady:

I took on issues that were personal to me -- issues like helping families raise healthier kids, honoring the incredible military families I’d met on the campaign trail, inspiring our young people to value their education and finish college.

Now, some folks criticized my choices for not being bold enough.  But these were my choices, my issues.  And I decided to tackle them in the way that felt most authentic to me -- in a way that was both substantive and strategic, but also fun and, hopefully, inspiring. 

"At the end of the day," she said, "by staying true to the me I've always known, I found that this journey has been incredibly freeing."

"Graduates, that’s what I want for all of you. I want you all to stay true to the most real, most sincere, most authentic parts of yourselves."

A student in the audience waves during First Lady Michelle Obama's remarks for the Tuskegee University Commencement ceremony in Tuskegee, Ala., May 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

The First Lady also encouraged the graduates to remain strong in the face of those that "will make assumptions about who they think you are based on their limited notion of the world," explaining how she and the President have been on the receiving end of those assumptions throughout their lives:

We’ve both felt the sting of those daily slights throughout our entire lives -- the folks who crossed the street in fear of their safety; the clerks who kept a close eye on us in all those department stores; the people at formal events who assumed we were the “help” -- and those who have questioned our intelligence, our honesty, even our love of this country. 

And I know that these little indignities are obviously nothing compared to what folks across the country are dealing with every single day -- those nagging worries that you’re going to get stopped or pulled over for absolutely no reason; the fear that your job application will be overlooked because of the way your name sounds; the agony of sending your kids to schools that may no longer be separate, but are far from equal; the realization that no matter how far you rise in life, how hard you work to be a good person, a good parent, a good citizen -- for some folks, it will never be enough.

"All of that is going to be a heavy burden to carry," she said, adding that it can often make people feel like their lives don't matter. "[These feelings are] rooted in decades of structural challenges that have made too many folks feel frustrated and invisible. And those feelings are playing out in communities like Baltimore and Ferguson and so many others across this country."

The First Lady emphasized, however, that those frustrations are not an excuse to quit, or to lose hope.

"Our history provides us with a better story, a better blueprint for how we can win," she said. "It teaches us that when we pull ourselves out of those lowest emotional depths, and we channel our frustrations into studying and organizing and banding together -- then we can build ourselves and our communities up. We can take on those deep-rooted problems, and together -- together -- we can overcome anything that stands in our way."

Read the First Lady's full remarks here.

First Lady Michelle Obama greets alum and Selma civil rights leader, Dr. Amelia Boynton Robinson, age 103 and Latifya Mohammed before the Tuskegee University Commencement ceremony in Tuskegee, Ala., May 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

"Thank you for all your efforts in changing our health care system."

Sangeeta M. from Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a mom with two young boys, ages 4 and 9. She and her husband have been self-employed for many years, and over the past decade, experienced troubles with maintaining health insurance.

"As health insurance continued to raise their premiums, we eventually got squeezed out of the system," she wrote in a letter to the President last September. She says their premium went up at least three times within a year, amid a struggling economy.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, however, she and her husband were able to finally get quality health coverage. That coverage was there for them when Sangeeta found that she had breast cancer.  Having insurance allowed Sangeeta to get the treatment she needed at a price her family could afford.

"I cannot imagine having to deal with cancer and worrying about how we're going to pay for it all," she wrote. "Not a moment goes by each day where I am [not] filled with such overwhelming gratitude to you and everyone it took to make health care reform happen."