Barack Obama’s Honorary Degrees
Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, has received over 20 honorary degrees from universities and institutions worldwide, many of which he delivered commencement addresses at Wikipedia**+1**.
Notable Honorary Degrees
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Knox College – June 4, 2005, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered commencement address Wikipedia**+1**.
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University of Massachusetts Boston – June 2, 2006, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Northwestern University – June 16, 2006, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Xavier University of Louisiana – August 13, 2006, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Howard University – May 12, 2007, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Southern New Hampshire University – May 19, 2007, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Wesleyan University – May 25, 2008, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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University of Notre Dame – May 17, 2009, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia**+1**.
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University of Michigan – May 1, 2010, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Hampton University – May 9, 2010, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Ohio State University – May 5, 2013, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address Wikipedia.
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Morehouse College – May 19, 2013, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address reference.org.
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University of Johannesburg – June 28, 2013, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) reference.org.
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Howard University – May 7, 2016, Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), delivered address reference.org.
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Rutgers University – May 15, 2016, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), delivered address reference.org.
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University of Hawaiʻi – December 21, 2019, Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.) reference.org.
Context
These degrees were awarded in recognition of Obama’s leadership, public service, and contributions to civil rights and global diplomacy. Many of the addresses he delivered reflected on education, leadership, and the role of public service in society
Donald Trump has received two honorary degrees, both of which were later revoked.
Details
| Year | Institution | Honorary Degree | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Lehigh University (Pennsylvania) | Honorary Doctor of Laws | Revoked in 2018 after the January 6 Capitol riot |
| 2004 | Robert Gordon University (Scotland) | Honorary Doctor of Business Administration | Revoked in 2015 after his remarks about Muslims |
| He has no active honorary degrees today. |
The image is partly accurate, partly misleading, and partly opinion-based.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Erika Kirk did receive honorary doctorate degrees from Hillsdale College for herself and posthumously for Charlie Kirk. 
- These were honorary degrees, meaning they are symbolic recognitions and not earned academic doctorates through coursework/dissertations. So the claim they “did not earn” is technically true in the ordinary academic sense — but that is also how honorary doctorates normally work. 
- Erika Kirk did give an emotional tribute about Charlie Kirk during the commencement speech. 
- Charlie Kirk had publicly criticized modern higher education many times and called college a “scam” in some contexts, especially criticizing ideological bias and debt-heavy degrees. 
- The meme’s claim that Charlie Kirk believed “women shouldn’t pursue higher education” is an oversimplification. He did advocate traditional gender roles and made controversial comments suggesting women often attend college to find husbands and should prioritize family roles. 
However, there is no strong evidence he argued women should categorically never pursue higher education.
What’s misleading in the meme:
- Calling this “DEI” is mostly rhetorical/editorial framing. Honorary doctorates are commonly awarded across the political spectrum for public influence, philanthropy, leadership, activism, or cultural impact.
- The meme compresses several separate criticisms into one emotionally loaded statement.
So overall:
- Core event: True.
- Honorary degrees: True.
- Charlie Kirk criticized college: True.
- Claim he thought all women shouldn’t pursue higher education: Exaggerated/misleading.
- “Anti-DEI advocate becomes DEI advocate”: Opinion/spin rather than factual reporting.
And since the college determines who receives an honorary degree from them, they are the only party who decides whether or not it was earned. Someone rendering an opinion that it was not earned is merely offering their own opinion, which we all know is like some body parts.
