Former president surprises grads with address in memorable year

LITTLE ROCK — The cat’s out of the bag.

Former President Bill Clinton is a surprise speaker this week at all five Little Rock School District high school graduations.

The former commander in chief and, before that, 12-year Arkansas governor, has videotaped individual speeches for each of the online commencement ceremonies being broadcast this week for the J.A. Fair, Parkview Magnet, Hall, John L. McClellan and Central high schools.

“I know this ceremony is not what you expected today but …. one thing about this commencement you will never forget it,” Clinton told the Fair High graduates, whose ceremony was the first broadcast on various websites and platforms Tuesday night.

The former president, speaking from his home in New York, acknowledged Fair’s Class of 2020 will be the school’s final graduating class and, as a result the graduation is “bittersweet.

“But it doesn’t diminish what has happened before and what you can look forward to,” Clinton told the War Eagles.

Fair and McClellan are closing as high schools at the end of this school year, to be replaced by the new Southwest High School. Plans call for most of the McClellan building to be demolished and for Fair to become a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade campus in the next couple of years.

High schools across the state and nation have had to forgo traditional graduation ceremonies in arenas, auditoriums, gymnasiums and stadiums this year in response to the covid-19 pandemic and strict limits on the size of public gatherings.

In Little Rock, each of the online ceremonies features photos of the new graduates, as well as pre-recorded music and speeches.

Superintendent Mike Poore has said for several weeks the non-traditional events would include appearances and remarks by surprise guests.

The initial showing of the Hall graduation followed the Fair ceremony Tuesday night

“But it doesn’t diminish what has happened before and what you can look forward to.” — Bill Clinton, former president

on each school’s webpage, and on-demand on LRSDTV. org.

The Parkview graduation will be at 6 p.m. today, followed at 8:30 p.m. by the McClellan event. The Central High graduation will be at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The ceremonies will also be broadcast later on the district’s educational cable channels.

At the time of each broadcast this week, Little Rock will illuminate the Arkansas River bridges in the school’s colors.

Clinton told the graduates that the pandemic has reinforced the lesson of human interdependence.

“We need each other,” he said, adding, “when there is a challenge, run toward it, don’t run away from it.”

He said he hopes the graduates will look to the future with optimism.

“So hold your head high today. Be proud of what you have done. Make the most of the rest of your lives.”