| Brita Reitan was chosen by her classmates to give the student speech at the commencement ceremony
"To those who say this bill is an infringement on states rights, I say this – the time has arrived in America. The time has arrived for the Democratic party to get out of the shadow of states rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights." A 37-year-old Minneapolis mayor spoke these words as part of an eight-minute speech he delivered at the 1948 Democratic national convention. The speech brought the assembled delegates to their feet, and their cheering carried on for as long as the words themselves had. The lasting effects of that speech were also remarkable, but I ask that we focus on the speaker. By charging the Democrats to walk out of the shadows, the light cast that day was not just the "bright sunshine of human rights". Hubert Horatio Humphrey was casting his own light on a party and a nation. Humphrey’s passionate commitment to civil rights was a bright fire burning within him. In shining his light on the dark history of our nation, he ensured that whatever the course of future events, the past could no longer go unseen.
Humphrey’s name appears on all of our diplomas today, but this is not a day for celebrating his legacy. The name on that document that matters the most is yours. Your name on that page signifies that you have completed your training here. For all of the benefits of that education, however, there is also a cost: we have forever lost from our language two simple phrases. "I don’t see the problem."___ "I can’t contribute to the solution".
Whether injustice or imprudence – the immorality of oppression or the short-sightedness of waste, we have no excuses for not correcting the deficiencies in the world around us. The tools of recognition and analysis of problems are now ours. More importantly, however, we also have the ability to improve the condition of the world. To be ignorant or to feel ineffective, is to deny the fact that you stand here today proclaiming to have learned the lessons of this Institute. And it is to deny that you were challenged by this experience to go out and work for a brighter future.
Recently, a friend and I were lamenting over dinner the state of our union. We found common ground in the stance that we were "down on democracy". Wouldn’t it be a better world we thought, if we had professionals running our government. Well, the distaste for democracy lasted only a short while longer than the taste of the wine that fueled it.. and please put aside the obvious editorializing on our current administration at the root of my story, and consider with me its conclusion. A professional government. To me, this means that our country has a well-trained and responsible bureaucracy. That we have activists who challenge those within government to always improve. And that we have an attentive and inquisitive electorate who force accountability on those in power. To all three of these ideals, the Humphrey School has prepared us to lead.
Apprehension is natural on a day like today. Transitions like these bring uncertainty. But for what it is worth, as I look out at all of you, my belief in your ability is unmitigated. And from my perspective, what you need is not an assurance of good times to come, but a charge to go create them. There is no doubt in our desire – it led us to undertake this course two years ago, and stayed us through two years of effort. There is no doubt in our skills – our teachers and their training were world class, and we have evidenced that education through papers, projects, and exams. There is no doubt in our efficacy – so many of us in this room have already left their mark on the world in extraordinary ways. Therefore today there should be no doubt.
Like Humphrey, each of us has a fire that burns within us. Our passions led us into this institute, and our passions should lead us out. Think back two years to the person you were when you entered the Humphrey, and the passion that led you here. Find that ember still glowing inside of you. Today I ask that you fan that fire – let its light shine on the world around you.
The light that we cast won’t be the same for each of us. Some of us are making our future in government service, where responsible devotion to our principles will cast a fair light on all people. Some of you are entering lives as managers, where the light you cast will be a beacon to others, showing the path to follow and serving as an example through its burning. Some of you are entering lives of activism. The light you will cast is focused and strong – a laser that by its very shining on its target will leave it altered by its glow.
But absent a passionate flame inside of us, we cannot cast light out. I want to speak now to one of the passions that drives me and brought me here to the Humphrey. It is a belief in the equality of all people and a love for my family. My brother Jake came out as gay to me while he was in highschool. I had always been an advocate for gay rights, but on that day the struggle became personal. I came to the Humphrey with this passion still burning. However, while at the Humphrey my interests grew and my studies focused more on policy analysis and public finance. Despite my shift in professional focus my passion for equality remained and I had an opportunity to rekindle this passion recently.
My brother Jake is in the audience today, and I want to thank him for that opportunity. This Spring I joined Jake on a portion of his Equality Ride. Jake organized a group of 35 young people to travel by bus across the country shedding light on GLBT inequality and discrimination. These youth were activists, employing the tactics of nonviolent civil disobedience and reaching out to an oppressed population that had previously been hidden in the shadows.
I was so glad I had a chance to join Jake for portions of his ride, because it reminded me of the reasons I entered this Institute. Often times the intellectual nature of our work here and our understanding of the scope of the problems we face can quell or temper our passion. This trip reminded me of the passion of young activists and challenged me to bring that same commitment to my life both personally and professionally. In my professional life I plan to work within government and shine a broad lamp of leadership and good governance. The Equality Riders inspire me to bring the same level of passion to that work.
I have chosen the professional path of an analyst, but I am thankful for the lessons of my activist family. While my parents frequent arrests for civil disobedience can sometimes feel a little embarrassing, …or hit the news the night before a job interview, I am inspired by their commitment and passion. For all of my family, I could not be more thankful and of their commitment to justice, I could not be more proud.
Each of us in this room feels a passion. If you can’t contain it – don’t try to. It is that passion that will carry us through the work we undertake. Think of today not as your day in the sun, but as your call to lift up your lamp. In the years ahead, if your flame begins to ebb, and your light begins to wane, think back on today: today, we are sure in our desire, we are confident in our training, and we are emboldened by the knowledge of our efficacy. Today, all of our fires are burning. Now go light the world.
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