Advice to the class of 2020 from writers
Tforward into a world that desperately needs strength and truth we, the previous generation, wish you well. You may not be able to change this world but you must be sure, at a time of lies and disease, you don’t let the world change you. There is nothing to be afraid of. The color of your skin neither gives you an advantage nor a disadvantage. Listen to the best of yourself. The sun will rise, the moon will set; you will fall in and out of love. Life is a good idea. Choose it over all other choices.” advice but more a bearing witness of your call and unasked for destiny. For during these trying times, we depend on each other, more than ever, to restore what matters when in trouble, so we can make good use of our heart. No one quite knows how to do this, but learn it we must. And though you didn’t ask for this, your generation will determine how loving a society will be on the other side of this pandemic.
So when in doubt, keep giving. It will save us all. Your heart knows the way. I, like so many others, will be listening for your wisdom as it unfolds. And so, I offer you two quotes to bless you on your way.
The first is from Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “I believe what the self-centered have torn down, the other-centered will build up.” And the second is a small poem of mine, which reads: The mystery is that whoever shows up when we dare to give has exactly what we need hidden in their trouble.
Congratulations and many blessings. that is as a climate change activist, a community improvement project, or a political movement. Become part of something larger than yourself. Your generation can change the world. We need you!”
Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Macarthur “genius” Fellow, National Humanities Medalist, director of the current Netf lix hit, “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool.”
“Do anything to stay in your chosen profession. Internships, volunteer, anything. Show up for everything, and show up early. Continue to learn, college is an end and a beginning! Good luck!!”
Staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers science, and author of “I Contain Multitudes.”
“As you build yourself, don’t forget to build others, too. Recognize any privilege or luck you’ve enjoyed, and honor it by helping those who’ve enjoyed less.”