University of California, Irvine, Commencement Address

Thank you so much for the kind introduction. 

I’m delighted to be here today––with all of you––Class of 2024; my good friend Dean Jon Gould; parents and family members; and the alumni and faculty of UC Irvine. Congratulations to everyone and well done!

I’d like to give a special shout-out to all of our first generation graduates. You know who you are. I am a First Gen graduate, too. You overcame additional obstacles to make it here today. Take pride in your accomplishments; but never forget the communities where you began your journey.

In case you missed it in the rush to get here this morning, it’s also Fathers Day! A special shout-out to all the fathers in the audience––I spoke to my Dad earlier today and thanked him for everything he did to get me where I am today.

So here’s a ‘dad joke’ in honor of all you UC Irvine dads:
 

          Why don’t anteaters ever get sick?

          Their anty-bodies keep them healthy! 

In all seriousness, today, we celebrate the achievements of our graduates; but most of you wouldn’t be here without the love, support, encouragement, and faith of your family and friends. 

Hold them close as you move on into the world! 

There’s so much I could speak about today!

I could tell you about my journey to becoming the 11th Archivist of the United States, which is quite a tale.

I could talk about the National Archives itself, an amazing institution that preserves and protects our nation’s history.

Or I could talk about any one of the many important, pressing issues our country faces today––such as immigration reform, the environment, foreign policy, or the economy.

Instead, I’ve chosen to take a step back and talk about something more basic and even more critical. And that is the health of democracy today.

You will soon leave the familiar home you’ve built here in Irvine. You may return to where you grew up, attend another school, or move someplace new to start a career. 

No matter what your next step is, it’s now time to put everything you’ve learned into practice. For some of you, it could be a career in public service. For others, you might join the private sector or the military.

Regardless of where you go, I urge you to become engaged in the decisions affecting your life and the lives of others. It could be on the local, state, or national level, and it doesn’t have to necessarily involve politics.

We talk a lot about civics education, and how we can teach civics better. That is critical. Yet, even if this country did a perfect job in educating young people about our democracy and how it works, none of that will matter if a new generation of citizens aren’t engaged in its execution.

Democracies––in the United States and other parts of the world––aren’t self-executing. The United States has been around for almost 250 years, and some of us might take it for granted.

It’s always been there, and it always will.

And I’m telling you as a political scientist, that is a dangerous misconception. 

You’re here today to receive your diploma because you did the hard work. Once you were accepted to UC Irvine, it wasn’t just a matter of showing up. You had to put time and effort into your classes. 

That’s the same as a democracy. According to the Declaration of Independence that sits right around the corner from my office, human beings have “unalienable rights.” What does that mean? It means those rights are inherent to us and cannot be taken away. 

But there is no guarantee that we will always have a democratic government that will recognize and protect those rights. The only way that will continue is if we work hard to keep our democracy and keep it healthy. 

So, how do we do this? What can we do? How can we meet this challenge?

First, wherever you end up, register to vote. I moved around a bit after school, and when I finally landed where I live in Arlington, Virginia, I figured out how to register so that I wouldn’t miss an election. And I haven’t missed an election. If I’m going to be out of town, I vote early or vote absentee. It’s your responsibility to do this and to make yourself aware of the voting laws and requirements of the jurisdiction where you live.

Now, voting is critical, but it’s really the bare minimum. And as UC Irvine graduates, I know you’ll want to shine brighter! 

The next step is to educate yourself. And I’m telling you, it takes commitment. You won’t know everything about your local community, and all of a sudden, you’re going to be asked to make decisions about candidates you’ve never met or haven’t heard of before. 

That means doing a new kind of homework––let’s call it civics homework. Democracy requires lifelong learning for it to function properly.

I’m not telling you how to vote or who to vote for. But what I am asking is that you make educated and conscious choices.

We live in a world in which we communicate instantaneously. I wrote letters to my parents when I was in college––yes, I’m that old! Email was only getting off the ground, and not everyone had access to the internet. 

No matter where your life takes you, take solace in the fact that you can keep in touch with your family and each other in ways that were unimaginable only 30 years ago.

However, with technology also comes the threat of disinformation. When James Madison defended the Constitution in the Federalist Papers, he argued that discord would not coalesce in  a large democracy like the United States. Madison’s rationale no longer holds. 

The antidote is doing the hard work of citizenship––spending the time to self-educate to prevent disinformation from taking hold. We do not need to have a defeatist attitude about these challenges if we take these democratic responsibilities seriously.

And lastly, I hope you will consider getting involved in public life - whether that means engaging in politics, government service, volunteerism, civic organizations, or a faith-based initiative. 

The world isn’t going to fix itself, and democracy isn’t inevitable. We have to roll up our sleeves and accept our responsibilities so that we can continue to protect the rights and freedoms we have. 

When I first got a call from the White House about serving as the Archivist of the United States, although I was honored to be considered for the role, it wasn’t the best timing.

I had an excellent job at the White House Historical Association, where I made a very generous salary and supervised a fully functioning team with no major problems or concerns. And, more importantly, I had just finished 12 rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer. So there were plenty of reasons to say “no, thank you–– this isn’t the right time for me.”

But when I thought about the opportunity to serve in this role, I knew I had to do it. If not me, then who? And if not now, then when?

We never know what life has in store for us and how we might be asked to serve. And sometimes, it might simply be impossible. 

However, if we all do our part and answer the call as well as we can when democracy knocks on the door, then the future is indeed bright.

There is plenty of pessimism in the world today. And I can tell you from experience that if you think you can’t do something, then you’re right. But the moment that mindset changes, then you’re in the game. 

We think of moral duties in a lot of different ways. We have a moral duty to our family, our beliefs, our closest friends. But we haven’t thought as much lately about the moral duty to preserve democracy. 

Everyone needs to play a role to fulfill this duty, and that role may change appreciably throughout your life. There will be many twists and turns, but don’t forget it, and don’t take it for granted.

In closing, I challenge you to lead an active life for democracy––not a passive one. Hold our elected and appointed leaders accountable for their actions, and use the records we hold in trust at the National Archives to do so. 

And when opportunities to lead knock on your door, don’t be afraid to answer the call, even if it means taking a risk or sacrificing short-term gains. 

When Ben Franklin left the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he was asked what type of government had been created for the United States. He famously responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Let’s answer Franklin’s call and do our part collectively to keep our democracy strong.

Congratulations Anteaters!  Your future is bright!