When Scott Pelley stepped onto the stage at Hearn Plaza on May 19, 2025, the vibe was typical for a North Carolina spring. Sun was out. Thousands of black robes were fluttering in the breeze. Parents were sweating. It felt like every other graduation until the legendary 60 Minutes correspondent decided he wasn't there to give a "follow your dreams" Hallmark card of a speech.
He basically told the Class of 2025 that their house was on fire.
By the time the Scott Pelley Wake Forest commencement address ended, the internet was already melting down. To some, it was a heroic defense of the First Amendment. To others, it was an "unhinged" partisan rant. Honestly, if you just watched the ten-second clips on X, you missed the real story.
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The Quote That Started the Fire
Pelley didn't bury the lead. He's a reporter, after all. He looked at the 2,000+ graduates—including the university's 100,000th total graduate—and said, "Your country needs you."
Simple enough, right?
But then he went deep. He started talking about George Orwell, Edward R. Murrow, and the "falling bombs of fascism." He warned that "insidious fear" is creeping into American homes and private thoughts. He didn't name-drop politicians every five seconds, but the subtext was loud. He specifically took aim at the attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), calling it an "old playbook" where power tries to rewrite history by changing the definition of words.
"Diversity is now described as illegal," Pelley said. "Equity is to be shunned. Inclusion is a dirty word."
The crowd's reaction was a mix of dead silence and scattered cheers. You could feel the tension through the livestream. Conservative commentators later jumped all over him, calling him a "propagandist," while the University stood by him. Wake Forest President Susan R. Wente had even introduced him as a man with a "unique ability to find the human story." She probably didn't realize the human story that day was going to be a full-blown culture war.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Speech
Everyone focuses on the "anti-Trump" angle because that's what gets clicks. But if you actually sit through the whole thing, the speech was more about the philosophy of truth than 2024 or 2026 election cycles.
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The Zelenskyy Connection
Pelley told a story about interviewing Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He asked the Ukrainian President where his courage came from when Russia invaded. Zelenskyy’s answer was basically: You look in the mirror and ask, "Who are you?"
Pelley posed that same question to the students.
- Who are you when the rule of law is under attack?
- Who are you when journalism is being sued into silence?
The "Astronomer" Warning
There was a funny, kinda weird moment where he warned the students about the power of words. He told a story about a girl who heard him speak years ago. She had a "sensible degree" but dropped everything to become an astronomer because of his speech. "If there is anyone here today who does not want to be an astronomer, this is the time to space out," he joked. It was a light moment in a speech that was otherwise heavy as lead.
Why History "Chose" the Class of 2025
Pelley made a bold comparison. He didn't just say times are tough; he put these 22-year-olds on the same level as the greatest generations in American history.
- The Class of 1861: Facing the Civil War.
- The Class of 1941: Facing World War II.
- The Class of 1968: Facing the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam.
He argued that the Scott Pelley Wake Forest commencement was a "time of calling" just like those eras. He mentioned the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and Maya Angelou (who actually taught at Wake Forest). He used Angelou’s famous "I Rise" poem to tell the graduates that they aren't "descended of fearful people."
It was high drama. Some critics called it "smug" or "theatrical." But for the students sitting there, it was a reminder that their degree wasn't just a piece of paper—it was a weapon in a fight for "open inquiry."
The Backlash and the Reality
The fallout was massive. Fox News and various podcasters went after Pelley for "turning a graduation into a political rally." They pointed to his arm-waving and "pastoral" delivery as evidence that he’s lost his journalistic objectivity.
But here’s the thing: Wake Forest is a "Pro Humanitate" school. That’s their whole brand. The university administration actually doubled down on Pelley’s message, emphasizing their commitment to being centers of "open inquiry" without fear of "retribution, censorship, or deportation."
It’s easy to get lost in the noise, but the speech highlighted a massive rift in how we view education in 2026. Is a university a place for "sensible degrees" or a battleground for the "sacred rule of law"? Pelley clearly thinks it's the latter.
Actionable Takeaways from the Speech
If you're looking for the "so what" of the Scott Pelley address, it boils down to a few very specific challenges for anyone entering the workforce or starting a career right now:
- Audit Your Fear: Pelley asked why Americans are "afraid to speak" in a government "of the people." If you're staying silent to avoid "cancellation" or corporate blowback, you're proving his point about "insidious fear."
- Define Your "Who": Don't wait for a crisis to decide what you stand for. Use the "Zelenskyy Mirror Test"—look at yourself and decide your core values before the world tries to decide them for you.
- Protect the Definitions: Pay attention to how words like "freedom," "equity," and "truth" are being redefined in public discourse. Pelley’s biggest warning was about "Newspeak" (the Orwellian concept). If you lose the meaning of words, you lose the ability to argue.
- Don't Settle: He shared how CBS News told him to "please stop applying" in the 80s. He kept going. The lesson? The world will tell you "no" a thousand times. Listen to the "song in your heart" instead.
To see the full context of the day, you can check out the Wake Forest Commencement Archive which includes the full transcript and the list of honorary degrees conferred, including Pelley's own Doctor of Humane Letters.