Spelman College graduates got one last lesson in success Sunday from a woman who knows something about it.

Oprah Winfrey, who created a media and philanthropic empire, urged more than 550 graduates at the historically black college for women to strive for excellence and make service the focus of their lives. And she told them to remember the sacrifices of generations of ancestors whose blood and hard work paved the way for their accomplishments.

“Never forget that you did not do this by yourself,” Winfrey told the graduates and their families at Spelman’s 125th commencement ceremony. “You come here today trailing the breath of the ancestors and of the angels.”

It was a banner day for two Atlanta historically black colleges. Earlier Sunday, more than 500 men graduated from Morehouse College. At the Georgia International Convention Center, Winfrey cited three keys to success.

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Pictured: Oprah Winfrey attends the Spelman College Commencement at Georgia International Convention Center on May 20, 2012 in College Park, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)