'Change starts local' - Watch Mark Zuckerberg's politically charged Harvard speech

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Mark Zuckerberg Harvard

Associated Press

Mark Zuckerberg

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"If I get through this speech, it'll be the first time I actually finish something at Harvard."

On Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg gave Harvard's 2017 commencement address and received an honorary doctorate degree. The 33-year-old CEO and world's fifth richest man famously dropped out the university 12 years ago to create Facebook, which is now valued at $447 billion.

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During his 30-minute speech, Zuckerberg touched on a range of politically charged topics, including climate change, universal basic income, criminal justice reform, and even "modernizing democracy" by allowing people to vote online.

Despite his public denials, Zuckerberg has continued to spark speculation that he's considering a bid for public office. He did little to dissuade rumors with his speech on Thursday, which ended with him crying while telling the story of an undocumented immigrant student he mentors.

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He also reiterated sentiments from his lengthy manifesto about the future of Facebook and the global community.

"Change starts local," Zuckerberg said. "Even global change starts small with people like us."

You can watch the video of Zuckerberg's full speech below: