FAMU honored more than 1,300 graduates during three spirited spring commencement ceremonies held Friday and Saturday at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center, where keynote speakers Fawn Weaver and Bernard Kinsey delivered powerful messages of resilience, faith, and relentless effort.
Fawn Weaver, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, delivered a fiery, faith-driven address to FAMU’s 2025 graduates, urging them to anchor their futures in divine purpose and spiritual conviction rather than political fear.
"Your purpose isn’t dictated by who’s in power.” Weaver, who survived homelessness as a teen, drew parallels between current political strife and the biblical story of Moses and Pharaoh.
“Every time Pharaoh promised freedom, God hardened his heart. What we’re seeing now is Pharaoh,” she said. “But don’t be discouraged. Ask instead: What is God proving here? What’s my role?”
She dismissed the notion that privilege defines destiny, recounting her nights at Covenant House, a Hollywood homeless shelter: “God’s promise—no weapon formed against you shall prosper—carried me further than any pedigree.”
“If God be for you, who can be against you! So when you go out into the world today, you have a choice. You running this or is God running this? And if God's running this, you should have no concerns,” Weaver said.
The crowd erupted in applause, many graduates nodding in recognition of FAMU’s legacy of resilience.
Weaver’s story of triumph resonated with the crowd, particularly first-generation students.
“She made me believe my past doesn’t define my future,” said graduate Jamal Carter, who earned a degree in business administration.
Bernard Kinsey, Los Angeles philanthropist and co-founder of the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection, distilled life lessons into actionable advice. He warned graduates that success demands grit, while failure is an easy path.
“Greatness requires that you push past the part of you that doesn’t feel like making the effort,” said Kinsey, a 1967 FAMU alumnus whose family has donated millions to the university. “The road to success is under construction. The road to failure? A four-lane highway.”
Kinsey, whose globally exhibited art collection celebrates Black achievement, also emphasized the importance of legacy: “What you do next will write FAMU’s next chapter—and your own.”
The ceremonies highlighted graduates from the university’s 14 schools and colleges, including record numbers in STEM and healthcare fields.