Pelosi Commencement Address at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs  

Contact: Speaker's Press Office,

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Los Angeles – Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered the keynote address at the 2022 undergraduate commencement ceremony at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much, Dean. It really is lovely to hear you say all those things. I accept any commendation on behalf of the House Democrats who made all of those victories possible.

But we are not here to talk politics today, but policy – or public affairs, or however we're categorizing it.

I see the velocity with which your fans are going, and I think that's an indication to me that you're sitting in the sun — and I'm standing in the shade. One thing I could do is say, ‘Just read the fan, and we can all go home.' It's a wonderful, wonderful fan, connecting the dots between theory and action. But – read the fan.

I am absolutely delighted to be here with each and every one of you. When I received this invitation, I was so excited about it and – also, because of you, but also because of the Luskins. There they are with the programs on their heads, protecting them from the sun. They're afraid I may use one of my record-breaking speeches where I spoke for eight hours – more than eight hours, to protect our DREAMers. But I'm not going there today.

With special greetings, I want to bring, from the Congress of the United States, to this graduating class, Luskin School class of 2022!

[Applause]

With special congratulations from Ted Lieu, who is the Member of Congress who represents this district.

Thank you, Dean Segura for your lovely introduction and – especially for inviting me to participate in these proceedings. And Anastasia, it was lovely to hear your introduction. And to hear the student greeters, weren't they wonderful? Spanish, Arabic. And of course, to hear Samantha. Samantha said so much. Samantha Schwartz, congratulations to you on being speaker.

It is pretty exciting, and I think you all should all know that this day belongs to you. Today, you receive your hard-earned degree from one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

And you do so – that's an applause line.

[Applause]

For UCLA – and we're all proud, as the Dean mentioned, that you are the first undergraduate class to have been here for the full four years in – at Luskin. Aren't you proud of that? The Luskin family? That this is your class?

It is – it is, though, a ceremony that is a celebration of hard work. Hard work, conquering your intensive studies. Impressive determination to do well. Weathering long hours and late nights at the Powell Library. Anybody there?

[Applause]

A few. And even enjoying the long commute to and from the Hill.

So on this glorious day, savor your achievement, because you have done something extraordinary. And you have done so strengthened by the support of family and friends. So let us applaud the families who have given you so much support –

[Applause]

And you can make that a standing ovation for your families.

[Applause]

And while you – while you are standing, let us thank your brilliant faculty for their wisdom and guidance to make today happen.

[Applause]

Reflecting some of what the Dean said – Class of 2022, you are graduating in a very different world than when you first touched the mythical water of Inverted Fountain.

A climate crisis that is – has arrived and threatens to exacerbate even – the crisis even further. A global battle between freedom and tyranny on the front lines, which are in the Ukraine right now. But the fight for freedom in Ukraine – for democracy there, is a fight for democracy throughout the world. Even in our own country.

A ceaseless tirade – as was referenced by the Dean – of brutal gun violence, massacres, shattering communities across the country. Don't you think they crossed a line going into a classroom to shoot little children? They did so in Newtown. They did so again in Uvalde. It must stop. It must stop.

And of course, the pandemic has disrupted our lives and claimed the lives of so many of our loved ones. As your Dean said, million and – more than a million in the United States.

Graduates, at this moment, sometimes you might think this is a desperate time. But you must never give up hope. And you certainly must never give up hope in America. Amid so much darkness, let us recall the UCLA motto: ‘Let there be light.' And you are the light!

When people ask me, ‘What gives you hope for the future?' I always say the same thing: young people. Hope in young people.

After all, many of our Founding Fathers were very young when they founded a country in an unprecedented experiment in democracy, with founding values that have long been the envy of the world. When Lafayette helped our founders, he was like nineteen years old. And when our nation has fallen short of those ideals, it has been young people who have refused to remain silent and led the Civil Rights Movement, taking to the streets, casting ballots, making change happen.

You know, the bridge – the walk over the Selma Bridge, which I've done many times with my former colleague and friend, John Lewis – that march was begun by high school students. They wanted their parents to be able to vote. They thought the best way to do that was to be able to boycott class so that their teachers could be able to vote. If the teachers boycotted, the authorities would be angry, but the children boycotted, and therefore, they had to give the teachers the vote eventually. That – but that was what started that Selma march.

So right now, you and your peers, you've seen it, see – you've seized the torch in so many ways, as was mentioned. Marching for our lives – your lives – sounding the alarm on climate, demanding justice, justice, justice for all. I know that you want change, but as Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘Be the change you want to see.' And you have that capability.

I also find hope in something that Los Angeles is very famous for: the arts. This is, well – the poet Shelley once said, ‘The greatest force for moral good is imagination.' Imagination to be creative, imagination to put yourself in other people's shoes. But imagination — be creative. And just think of the arts, music or painting or whatever it is. You laugh together, you cry together, you're inspired together. And at least for that moment, you forget your differences and perhaps can find common ground. So the arts do give me – they do give me hope.

Even President Lincoln, he loved the arts. As we know, he was regular theatergoer, as fate would have it. And he – he said, ‘Let us swell the union — swell the, let us swell the union, the chorus of our union, with the better angels of our nature.'

And here we are in the City of the Angels, the city of the arts, the city of creativity, a place where you have brought so much to and also gained so much from. So again, in that wonderful spirit, be the practice of the Luskin alumna Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, who is serving as the Chair of the National Endowment of the Arts, springing from here and being the top person in the country on the arts — if you don't count the President and the First Lady.

And I urge you to tap into that unifying spirit of the arts as you move forward into public service, public affairs, public policy, for the public good.

At the same time, it is endlessly inspiring, just gaze on this crowd to see the dazzling diversity. And frankly, to see so many women graduate.

[Applause]

When I received the invitation to be with you today, I was overjoyed. But then I found out, also, that we would be observing the Summit of the Americas at the same time in Los Angeles, and I've spent the last two days there. President leading our delegation. And our Hemisphere, the Americas, is a very, very diverse place. And some of that diversity is reflected in our country, beautifully so, and in your class. I always say to my Members, ‘Our diversity is our strength. Our unity is our power.' So while we see differences of opinion and ethnicity and whatever differences there are, let us always remember to find that unifying common ground, which is the strength of – will be the strength of our country. And we agree that diversity and inclusion must be central to America's future, must be central to America's future.

[Applause]

So it's very heartening to see the graduating class here with so many different interests and backgrounds, but united by a powerful spirit of public policy, public service. And always remember this: whatever your calling is, whatever manifestation that has for you, public service is a noble calling.

Now I just want to speak to the women alone for a moment, gentlemen. I want you to know your power. I want you to know your – I want you all to know your power, but to the women: I just want to share my story with you.

I had absolutely no interest in running for public office. None whatsoever. Actually, I was very shy. People don't believe that, but I was. I'm a mom. I had five kids, but I was always a volunteer in politics because of the issues. And I knew my ‘why' I was involved. My ‘why' was one in five children in America goes to sleep hungry a night – at night. How could that be? So that was my motivation for volunteering and the rest.

And then they asked me if I would run for Congress. I'd never even given it a thought. I went to my youngest daughter of the five – four were already in college, one was going into senior year in high school. And I said, ‘Mommy has been asked to run for Congress, and I just want to know what you think. If you were going into college, it would be different, but since you're going to be a senior in high school, I really don't want to leave you. I love my life. Any answer is fine. But I just want to know what you think about Mommy running off for office, for Congress. I will be gone like three nights a week. Leave Monday, come back Thursday – or Tuesday to Friday – for the time that I have to be in Washington from San Francisco.'

To which she said, ‘Mother.' Knew I was in trouble right away. ‘Mommy's running for office.' ‘Mother, get a life.' I had never heard that expression before. This was 35 years ago. ‘Get a life? I have a life. I have you.' ‘Mother, get a life.' What teenage girl would not want her mother out of the house three nights a week?

But in any event, my point is not to just talk about my daughter. But my point is, I had no idea – maybe two, three months before then – I would be having that kind of conversation.

And I thought, ‘Why me?' Well, I knew my ‘why.' I wanted to be out there For The Children. I was ready. And I want you to be ready. You don't know what's around the next corner, and that applies to all of you, but especially to the women. Because nothing is more wholesome to the politics and the government and any other subjects you can name than the increased participation of women. It absolutely is necessary. When I went to Congress, there were 23 women – twelve Democrats, eleven Republicans. We now have 90. They have 30 something. We're all improving. We have to do more.

But it is very essential that you take – now, it's not easy. This is not for the faint of heart. This is tough, because when you run for office, you're a target.

Wendy? My friend Wendy – I'm so honored to have this role, because I know Wendy spoke to a graduating class here as well. Wendy Greuel.

You're a target. But you can't let that hold you back.

Teddy Roosevelt, he always talked about being in the arena. Being in the arena. When you're in the arena, you're not a spectator. You are now an act – taking action. And when you're in the arena – this is going to sound a little, well, this is what it is. You have to be able to take a punch. And you have to be able to throw a punch, For The Children. Always For The Children.

So just to the women: put everything that you have done as a plus. Whatever it is, it's a plus. And it makes you, you – and that's the advice I would give to the men – gentleman here as well. There is nobody like you in the world. You are uniquely something very special. Each of you.

I want to talk to each of you individually. Whatever you – whatever your motivation, your ‘why,' your study, your knowledge, your knowing, your vision, your knowledge, your strategic thinking about how to get things done, your sincerity of what's in your heart makes you a very special person in the world.

So while we all have people we admire, and some may be mentors and the rest, it's not about being like somebody else. The authenticity of you is what the world and the country needs. The authenticity, the sincerity of you. So know your power, each of you, as you go out there as somebody very, very special. Know your ‘why.' Is it climate? Is it – what is it? You know, is it justice? Some of the issues that you've worked on your capstone to do. Know what you know, know about it. And again, knowing your power is a unique way of making change, of course, strengthened by the magnificent education you have received here at UCLA.

Again, there is no one like you. You are the best version. Your authenticity is what this country needs.

As I said, Lincoln – I didn't say, but I referenced Lincoln earlier. He referred to our shared national project as the ‘unfinished business of democracy.' So your interest in public policy is needed so much too. Indeed, each generation has the responsibility to leave the nation better than they found it and even more – and more closer – and more closely akin to a more perfect union that we were once promised. Every generation has that responsibility. And every person within the generation has that responsibility.

So graduates, I urge you to reimagine what it means to serve our nation. Don't see what's there and ‘how do I fit into that?' How would you make it different? How would you make your imprint? It's very exciting, because you have different ways of communicating. Things are so, so very different now. And you are so welcome and needed to make that difference. So I say – I urge you to reimagine what it means to serve, to be your own unique, patriotic self. Now have I said it enough times?

The best advice I ever received, whether running for office or whatever it is: ‘Be yourself.' Are you ready for that? To recognize who you are, what your strengths are? Because our nation needs you, you, you, you.

On behalf of the United States Congress – because those fans are really getting faster and faster – for you, today, Class of 2022 of Luskin School of Public Policy UCLA, congratulations. For tomorrow, I wish you much success. And forever, Go Bruins!

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