USC Valedictorian Asna Tabassum shares withheld speech on day of would-be commencement
LOS ANGELES - Asna Tabassum, the valedictorian of the University of Southern California's Class of 2024, shared her speech Friday on what would have been the day of USC's commencement, weeks after the university barred her from delivering it.
Tabassum shared the speech with Annenberg Media, the university's student-led media network, and The Daily Trojan, the school's student newspaper. The released speech draws attention to the university's decision to cancel her speech, as it's severely redacted.
"This speech and its presentation is published and was written and shared to us by Asna Tabassum," the outlets wrote in a post on Instagram.
"President Folt, Provost Guzman, faculty, staff, families and fellow Class of 2024: It is my honor to stand before you today as your Valedictorian," the shared speech reads. "I am filled with gratitude to have the privilege of…"
The intro is followed by 10 and a half paragraphs of redactions.
"Congratulations, Class of 2024," the speech closes, followed by another redaction. "Thank you."
Shortly after announcing Tabassum as the university's valedictorian, USC Provost Andrew Guzman announced that the university decided not to let her deliver her speech, citing safety concerns. Critics accused Tabassum of sharing content with antisemitic language on social media.
"While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety," Guzman wrote in a statement to the USC community.
The decision to bar Tabassum from speaking marks the first time in USC's nearly 150-year history that a valedictorian has been prevented from delivering a live commencement speech.
Just days later, USC also pulled speeches from outside commencement speakers, including "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu, before eventually calling off the main stage commencement entirely.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- USC cancels pro-Palestinian valedictorian’s graduation speech, citing safety concerns
- USC will not have outside commencement speakers after pulling pro-Palestine valedictorian's speech
- USC cancels main stage commencement ceremony
- USC pro-Palestine encampment cleared by police
- USC Academic Senate censures President Carol Folt, Provost Andrew Guzman over commencement
The main commencement was canceled just one day after nearly 100 people were arrested at a demonstration on campus, protesting both the university's decision to pull Tabassum's speech, as well as Israel's war against Hamas. The protesters returned and established an encampment at Alumni Park, where the commencement ceremony would have taken place. Police also broke that encampment up after several days.
Earlier this week, USC's Academic Senate, representing the university's faculty, formally censured USC President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman Wednesday over their handling of the situation.
Tabassum, along with many other graduates, did cross the stage Friday as part of the Viterbi School of Engineering's ceremony. In a video from the ceremony shared on social media, the speaker described Tabassum as graduating "with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, molecular and cellular engineering and a minor in resistance to genocide." Her classmates gave her a standing ovation.