Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997-2006) 1999

“Friends, tolerance of those who are different of their views, their culture, their beliefs, and their ways of life is a hallmark of human rights around the world. It is also, I know, a central pillar of the unique community Michigan has created, one which recognizes the richness that diversity and pluralism can bring to a community of students, no less than to a society as a whole.”

Author Toni Morrison, 1992

“I want to suggest to you that while it may be true that the future, your future, is in your hands, I want to suggest to you that the past is also in your hands. Concentrating heavily on changing and managing the future, we don’t realize that the past is changeable as well.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 1993

“We have an opportunity to develop shared goals, and to be part of reaching them. It does not mean sacrificing individual rights. It does not mean stifling the spirit of any of us. But it does mean that promoting the common good in our democratic system requires us to work together to provide each other with certain rights and opportunities. And in return, it requires each individual to be responsible to themselves for themselves and on behalf of their families.”

Celebrated baptist preacher/professor Charles Adams, 1986

“Only an indomitable hope will find that elusive point where an honorable people are realistic enough to protect themselves against violence, and yet good enough to work diligently and indefatigably for peace with justice for all.”

Filmmaker/historian Ken Burns, 1997

“Read. The book is still the greatest man-made machine of all, not the car, not the TV. Write. Write letters, keep journals. Besides your children, there is no sure way of achieving immortality. Write more. Send messages. Remember there is nothing more incredible than being a witness to history. And when we remember, it brings a refinement and an elegance that enters our lives and never leaves.”

Film director Lawrence Kasdan, 1990

“Your good friends from college may be the best friends you ever have. Those relationships are like gold. Work hard to maintain them. When they have a wedding, go across the country to be there. When one of them gets sloppy about keeping in touch, keep trying. And when one of them needs your help across the globe, give it to them. If you do that, if you work hard, your friend will become a precious touchstone in your life.”

Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, 1991

“In past ages and other economic orders, people could acquire wealth only by seizing goods from others. Free enterprise liberates us from the Hobbesian quagmire and it lets one person’s fortune become everyone’s gain. This system built upon the foundation of private property harnesses our powerful instincts for creativity. It gives everyone an interest in shared prosperity, in freedom, and in respect.”

Poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky, 1988

“Try to be kind to your parents. If this sounds too close to ‘honor thy mother and father’ for your comfort, so be it. All I’m trying to say is, try not to rebel against them for, in all likelihood, they will die before you do. So you can spare yourself at least this source of guilt, if not of grief. If you must rebel, rebel against those who are not so easily hurt.”

Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite, 1994

“You’ll be expected to be a dynamic business person, financial wizard, nurturing homemaker, enlightened involved parent, environmental activist, physical fitness expert, a sexy and alluring yet responsible partner, champion of human rights, independent thinker, community activist, and, if you’re a woman, a size five — all at once.”

Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, 2021

“This horrific pandemic has exposed the many challenges we face all across the planet in creating better opportunities for people who are marginalized and excluded. It is in proximity to those communities that we begin to understand things we need to understand about how change happens, how justice grows, how we create healthier communities. Proximity is key to your capacity, your ability to make a difference.”