USC’s silenced valedictorian Asna Tabassum releases commencement speech – sort of

Asna Tabassum, USC’s Class of 2024 valedictorian who was barred from speaking at the university’s commencement ceremony, called attention to her silencing by releasing a largely redacted version of the speech that she would have delivered on Friday.

The document was published by Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan, the university’s student-run newspaper.

“This speech is published as was written and shared by Tabassum. Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan did not write, edit or change the speech or its presentation,” the university’s media center noted on Instagram.

“President Folt, Provost Guzman, faculty, staff, families and fellow Class of 2024,” the speech begins, “It is my honor to stand before you today as your Valedictorian. I am filled with gratitude to have the privilege of” – followed by 10 paragraphs of redactions.

The speech ends with “Congratulations, Class of 2024. Thank you.”

USC’s commencement ceremony was scheduled to take place Friday morning. However, the event was canceled after a series of steps, or missteps, related to the selection of Tabassum, a Muslim, as valedictorian.

In mid-April, the private university first announced Tabassum would no longer speak at commencement due to unspecified safety concerns after pro-Israel groups accused her of being antisemitic. They pointed to her Instagram account, which shared a link to another account calling for the abolishment of the state of Israel.

Tabassum is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a minor in “resistance to genocide.”

After her cancelation, USC announced that all outside commencement speakers, including tennis legend Billie Jean King and filmmaker Jon M. Chu, would no longer speak.

Protesters march in support of USC Class of 2024 valedictorian Asna Tabassum

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators converged on USC’s campus, setting up an encampment and erecting banners in violation of school policy to protest Tabassum’s silencing and Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

Campus security, with the help of the Los Angeles Police Department, cleared the encampment on April 24, arresting nearly 100 people. Smaller demonstrations have also been dispersed.

USC later replaced its main graduation ceremony with a series of private events, including one at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

USC’s Academic Senate, the body that represents the school’s faculty, voted to censure university President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman Wednesday over what they said was the mishandling of the issues leading up to the cancellation of commencement, according to multiple reports.

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