As commencement speaker, President Obama openly shared with Howard University grads that he's convinced his election hasn't created a "post-racial society" and implored them to help "shape our collective future."

While acknowledging that his two-terms as president has marked a time of improved race relations, Obama stressed the need for students of the historically black, Washington D.C. based university to keep pushing change.

President Stresses Power of the Ballot box

With the 2016 presidential election looming and his still unknown successor looming in the wings, the president advised students to vote "not just some of the time but all of the time." He later added, "When we don't vote we give away our power."

The president passionately assured grads that the world is a better place than when he was in their shoes more than three decades ago, but quickly added there is still much work to be done, as evidenced by still unfair employment practices and gaps in justice where many minorities are concerned.

"Be confident in your heritage," he added. "Be confident in your blackness. There's no one way to be black. Take it from somebody who's seen both sides of the debate about whether I'm black enough."

The president went on to stress the tie that binds all African-Americans is there awareness of "injustice, unfairness and struggle."

He later added, "We have cousins, and uncles, and brothers, and sisters, who were just as smart and just as talented as we were but somehow got ground down by structures that were unfair and unjust, and that means we have to not only question the world as it is, and stand up for those African-Americans who haven't been so lucky."

President Talks Empathy

Obama also stressed that same sense of empathy should extend to "all people" who are struggling in some way.

"People try to make this political thing really complicated," he said. "You know what? Just vote. It's math. If you have more votes than the other guy, you get to do what you want."

Obama is also scheduled to soon deliver commencement speeches at Rutgers University in New Jersey and at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Read full Howard speech here

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