boater making an exaggerated entrance to pick up his diploma, but it was what the president of wilberforcetook away that took their breath away. >> we wish to give you a fresh start so, therefore, the wilberforce university board of trustees has authorized me to forgive any debt. >> reporter: student loans owed to wilberforce were simply erased. grads tyler and taylor thompson, twins, had twin reactiones. >> it was very heart-warming but now we can actually clear our mind and actually focus. >> it makes me want to do more actually now that i know i don't have to do about it. >> reporter: any federal state and private loans won't be wiped out, but wilberforce got over $375,000 from groups like the united negro college fund to pay off debt the graduating class owed to the university. >> your accounts have been cle cleared and you don't owe wilberforce anything. >> reporter: nothing except maybe some gratitude. they were dancing their way out of debt. ♪ >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> more of that. that wraps this hour of "cnn newsroom." i'm kim brunhuber. "early start" is next. t

alfred anthony, the president of the ohio wilberforce university.inancial standpoint? >> well, we were able to do that as a result of some funding that we got from a donor that was very specific in terms of helping us in that direction and scholarships that we'd gotten from another organization with which we are affiliated and then instuseal funding. and, you know, these last 15 months have have been difficult everyone. we've all had our lives up ended. and these young people who were not used to what they experienced during covid, what was so overwhelming was the fact that they did not allow this pandemic to steal their dream. they persisted. they pushed through, they were resilient. and we were very excited as i looked out and we considered the class of 2020 and 2021, and so after some thinking about it, looking at our finances and realizing that we were able to this, we were very excited. and the moment that you've just shown was an exquisite moment of unbridled joy for us and for them who just basked in that excitement and that gratitude. so hap

and you don't owe wilberforce anything. [ cheering ] congratulations!unday morning. amen. congratulations to them. wilberforce university cancelling student debt for all of its 2020 and 2021 students. total debt cleared will be more than $375,000. the relief to be covered by various scholarships does not cover federal or bank loans. up next, a trillion-dollar deal. biden meeting with the gop but they don't play ball. does bipartisanship strike out? (man) so when in doubt, just say, "let me talk to my manager." next, carvana's 100% online shopping experience. oh, man. carvana lets people buy a car-- get this-- from their couch. oh, how disruptive. no salesman there to help me pick out the car i need. how does anyone find a car on this site without someone like us checking in? she's a beauty, huh? oh, golly! (laughter) i can help you find the color you want. that sounds nice. let me talk to my manager. (vo) buy your next car 100% online. with carvana. go with simparica trio it's triple protection made simple! simparica trio is the first and only monthly c

get a great surprise for the graduation in wilberforce. >> university, which is in wilberforce, ohio.ake a look at what happened. >> we wish to give you a fresh start. so they're fun. >> but give in need decked. >> okay. i just got because my daughter's graduation and it was just right now. and you know what these kids are graduating with 10's of $1000 in debt, but not here. the president just got up and said it's free. everything that you racked up to get this degree is now totaled. about $375,000 that they're getting a basically forgiveness right. >> isn't that a meal out and just to see the kids there in the crowd. that's fantastic. yeah. is historically black college and a lot of the kids scrape together everything that they could to get that degree and now get a fresh clean slate and no debt. well, that's a huge boost in getting their careers going. that's fantastic. 28 is the time. still ahead, despite much of the world reopening and lifting covid. >> 19 restrictions. the world health still sending out a stern warning saying, this is far from over. a lot of the world is still. >

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it is graduate season across america, and that commencement at wilberforce university, hard to top.es out more than $375,000 worth of fines, fees and tuition balances owed to the school. the leader of the ohio hbcu spoke with my colleague, alex whit, explaining why the school did what it did. >> these young people who are not used to what they experienced during covid, what was so, so overwhelming was the fact they did not allow this pandemic to steal their dream. they persisted and pushed through. they were resilient. >> and there is another commencement address making waves across mesh. this one in dallas where a high school valedictorian decided to use her time at the mike to flip the script and take a stand against her state's recent assaults on reproductive rights. nbc's erin mclaughlin shows us why paxton smith is our loudest voice of the week. >> as we leave high school we need to make our voices heard. >> a commencement speech going viral for go very off script. a high school student making the dramatic choice to switch out her preapproved speech for a fiery political messag

i close with the words of william wilberforce, great british parliamentarian who for many years was leader against slavery in great britain. he used these words, 150 years ago, he said, you may choose to look the other way but you can never again say you did not know. we want to make sure -- we want to make sure the people of this country know the truth. the whole truth. and nothing but the truth. thank you, mr. chairman. again for the witnesses. chair peters: thank you, senator carper. in closing out this hearing, i want to first thank congresswoman norton for your opening, for your incredible leadership over the years, and for passing significant legislation out of the house that we are now in the process of looking at here in the u.s. senate. i also want to thank senator lieberman for his leadership on the issues over the years as well. and i want to thank each of our distinguished witnesses. this has been a great panel that certainly has provided perspective on this, in my mind, this fundamental civil rights issue. we discussed here today. i think the committee heard very compelling te