University of Michigan graduates should take on the world’s challenges as “upstanders,” not “bystanders,” Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow said Sunday at the university’s 2015 Winter Commencement.

Minow, who also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, described an upstander as the antithesis of one who is near, but does not take part in, events. It is the type of person needed in this time of great possibilities and serious challenges.

“I heard it first from Samantha Power — she was once my student; she is now U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Upstanders stand up against injustice, bigotry, violence, wrongdoing. Perhaps by naming that role, more people will do it,” said Minow, a U-M alumna, author and human rights advocate, said.

She told the estimated 900 graduates gathered at Crisler Center — along with family, friends and other members of the campus community — that anti-bullying campaigns embrace the word, as do people working against domestic violence, sexual assault and human rights violations.

“An upstander may speak out publicly or may instead engage in secret resistance. An upstander may rescue individuals who are in danger — but then face danger too,” said Minow, the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law at Harvard.

Being an upstander requires a person to overcome a variety of societal obstacles: peer pressure, a desire to conform, skepticism that enables denial of injustice and fear for one’s safety or reputation.

“We all know it is easier to do nothing and say nothing,” Minow said.

But like the peer pressure that can contribute to bullying, individuals also have less trouble speaking up against injustice when they see others are ready to help.

“The same way you have built a culture that is supportive even when people are competing in sports, arts and business, you can build a culture wherever you go that makes it easier for people to stand up against what’s wrong,” Minow said. “Wherever you go, you can join with others to make it more possible for each next act of upstanding.”

Besides Minow, others who received honorary degrees Sunday were:

• Graham Beal, recently retired director, president and chief executive officer of the Detroit Institute of Arts, and currently the Hannah Visiting Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University; Doctor of Humane Letters.

• Dr. Pedro Cuatrecasas, biochemist and pharmaceutical executive, and co-chair of the U-M Life Sciences Institute Scientific Advisory Board; Doctor of Science.

• George Shirley, Joseph Edgar Maddy Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Music at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and a 2014 National Medal of Arts recipient; Doctor of Music.

In their remarks to the graduates, President Mark Schlissel and Provost Martha Pollack touched on similar themes of engaging society’s challenges.

Illustrating his message about the tensions between freedom and safety, Schlissel used the opportunity to acknowledge a “horrible mistake” in how U-M dealt with three faculty members during the Red Scare of the 1950s. (See related story.)

“History teaches us that moments such as these — these right now — are when we are most likely to bow to fear, to sacrifice our freedoms and rights in return for a perceived increase in safety and security,” Schlissel said. “But history tells us another story too — that we can learn from mistakes.”

Pollack told the graduates that the world of today is “broken in many ways,” but that they should endeavor to repair it with a sense of hope.

“The requirement that you use your hard-gained knowledge and habits of mind to improve a clearly imperfect world is not new. It’s something that’s always been expected of educated citizens. But neither is it unrealistic or naïve to think that you can face this expectation with optimism,” Pollack said.

She recalled the words of “one of my favorite characters from literature” to convey the importance of living with hope, joy and enthusiasm:

“What day is it?”
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

“Graduates, what I wish for each of you is that you take the talents, the knowledge and the habits of mind you have developed here at Michigan, and use them, day in day out, to create a life in which each day is your favorite day,” Pollack said.

Speaking on behalf of the students, Kidada Brittany Malloy used the iconic, spinning sculpture “The Cube,” created by U-M alumnus Tony Rosenthal, as a metaphor for her experience at U-M.

“Similar to the inconceivable design of ‘The Cube,’ Michigan Wolverines are uniquely rare and continue to challenge,” she said. “And just as difficult as it is to rotate ‘The Cube,’ it is similarly challenging to obtain a degree from Michigan.”

She told how she came to U-M as a freshman in 2006, but struggled with the transition and dropped out, returning home to California.

“It was not until six years later in 2013, at age 25, that I felt ready to return to Michigan,” said Malloy, who received a Bachelor of Arts degree in social theory and practice from LSA.

“Graduates, I encourage you all to remember your time here and never forget the experiences that have tilted your own axes and shifted your beliefs. Continue to remain true to the values and convictions you hold. We have thrived at Michigan, so we can indeed survive anything that the next chapters of our lives offer us.”

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