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Lesson from Edelman’s Commencement Speech

Marian Wright Edelman addresses many lessons that can potentially benefit many American young generations today. In her commencement speech, she delves into diverse topics that she finds critical for young people. She touches on hard work, determination, service to the community, racial justice, and the need for the congregant to avoid excuses but focus on self-efficacy in bettering American society. In her speech, Edelman also strongly believes in the young people's power to make America a better place for future generations. Edelman’ commencement speech offers the lessons of service to humanity, worth of living, and the need to desist from blaming others because such behaviour only makes people slaves of their own making.

The first lesson from Edelman’s speech is that successful living culminates in the service to others. Serving people is a noble task that many people in a society cannot do without a price. Edelman's idea is that helping others does not only boost morals but also make people realize and effectively utilize privileges that they have. In her speech, Edelman noted that service other in her community is “how they learned to take care of their elderly neighbours, and everyone was their neighbour" (Edelman). Neighbourliness is a missing quality in many of the American communities today. Many people are consumed by work and studies such that they do know their immediate neighbours. Lack of closeness among community member breeds conflict and disunity.

The second lesson gained from Edelman’s speech is that blame-game does not earn America anything. In fact, the speaker believes that blaming leaders is a way of expressing weakness that hind progress and independence. She reminded the congregant about Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, saying that "we are not all equally guilty, but we are all equally responsible for building a decent and just America” (Edelman). This statement signals the level of responsibility that every American have towards...