Show Notes
Equity Leadership Now! hosts conversations with equity-conscious leaders from pre-K through university settings who transform structures and strategies for educating students, particularly for those who are marginalized.
In this special episode of Equity Leadership Now!, we are pleased to share Professor Robert B. Reich’s keynote address from the 2025 UC Berkeley School of Education graduation ceremony. Professor Reich is currently the Carmel P. Friesen Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and a senior fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He has served in three US administrations, including as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, a role for which "Time" magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the 20th century.
Professor Reich delivered a powerful speech to future educational leaders, teachers, and changemakers on the need for a universal, free public education system that promotes civic education, critical thinking, and social justice.
He discussed the critical role of education in sustaining democracy and addressing societal inequalities in these uncertain times. Reich also emphasized the importance of teaching students about the U.S. political system, the rule of law, and the principles of equality, both politically and economically.
Reich noted that education should not be viewed solely as a private investment leading to personal economic gain but as a public good essential for the functioning of democracy. He asserted that, “civic education should instill in young people a passion for truth, enabling them to think critically, be skeptical, but not cynical about what they hear and read, find reliable sources of information, apply basic logic and analysis, and know enough history and the physical world to differentiate between fact and fiction” and while education is often framed as an individual pathway to success, its broader societal value cannot be ignored.
The address concludes with a call for graduates to embrace the challenges of their time with passion and purpose, framing the current moment as an opportunity for defending democracy and ensuring that education remains a pillar of American society.
