Convocation Speech, October 16th 2019 Ryerson University

Chancellor Fukakusa, President Lachemi, Provost Benarroch, Deans, esteemed colleagues and representatives who join us on stage, members of the graduating class, your families, friends, honored guests. It is my pleasure to be with you today.

In the many years I have been a professor, convocation has always been one of my favourite events. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be here to celebrate this culmination of your hard work over the several years of your university education. Perhaps you are among the first in your family to go to university, perhaps you had to juggle multiple jobs and family commitments while attending school, perhaps you weren’t always sure you belonged or you were welcome in your program, or even that you would make it through. But you have! And I want to say to each and everyone one of you, you belong here. You deserve to be here. We are grateful and privileged to be in this convocation venue with you.

Like you, I’m very grateful my university level education. None of my grandparents went to university. Socioeconomic, social and class barriers limited their aspirations, opportunities and expectations. Accessing a quality education in a publicly supported system is still a challenge for far too many. So the opportunity to share this happy and momentous occasion with students, their families and friends is a rare privilege for all of us, and it is one I cherish, especially at Ryerson University — because I see, in this room, the incredible diversity of humanity and talent that so enriches our lives here.

Ryerson is an institution that has always had a social justice mission and a relevance and set of values associated with serving the broader community. You take those values with you as you build our collective future: as scientists, as critical thinkers, as social entrepreneurs, as business leaders, as creators and innovators. Take with you into the world Ryerson’s values of social relevance, respect for diversity and commitment to social innovation & inclusion. These are very special skills, and are especially needed in a rising tide of pseudoscience, fake news, populism and protectionism. Use your skills and talents to turn that tide with calm and compelling reason, evidence, facts and respectful debate.

As you build your careers in myriad fields, near and far, please come back and tell us about your adventures. I have no doubt that you will make change in both expected and unexpected ways because you are the leaders and problem-solvers of tomorrow. But be the kind of leader described by author Tanya Talaga, in her book All Our Relations, where she explains “that in Ojibwe and Cree, leadership doesn’t mean power, it means caring”. Leadership and power are nouns/adjectives (they are static, immovable) while caring is a verb — it is actionable. Be one of those kinds of leaders.

And we need, the world needs, bold caring leadership from you, along with your creativity, your ideas, your solutions, your energy, your passion. We need you to raise your voices and speak your truths. We need to hear from you and, to quote the great Canadian singer/song-writer, Buffy Sainte Marie, “You must take your voice to where it will be the most effective” and that will be different for all of you. But find that place. Take your voice there. Be heard.

Over the years I have given many talks about removing barriers to opportunity in science and technology, about leveraging all the human talent and human capital available to us. I’ve talked to many audiences including leaders in business, academia, government, education and industry, challenging them to look at their structures and systems that limit opportunity, create barriers, prevent full engagement of all our talent, all our human capital. And in all of these sectors, I have met many young people, and sometimes not-so-young people, who wonder if they belong, who doubt their value or the relevance of their contribution — and most significantly, the value of their voice and what they have to say. And I tell them, you have a voice, you have something to say and you have a reasonable expectation that others around you will shut up and listen. Never doubt that — especially if you don’t look like some of the others around you, or if you don’t look like some of the others who lead in industry, business, politics, academia, science — or some of the others have the loudest voices in business, politics or science. We in Canada need your diverse & informed & passionate & creative voices.

And yet, when I look around this room today, I see spaces, seats, and I wonder who isn’t in the room. Who hasn’t had the opportunity and privilege of education, whose voice we are not hearing, whose ideas and talents we are missing out on. So while I celebrate your achievements and tell you that you belong and you have a voice, I also challenge you to look for those not in the room, bring them in or go to them and listen to what they have to say. Use your skills, your awareness, to bring those people into our collective future so they can contribute.

This summer, the brilliant writer Toni Morrison died, and I took the opportunity to read her heart-breaking novel “The Bluest Eye” in which one of the characters describes, at the end of the book, the utter failure of a community to protect one of its most vulnerable, by not challenging the systems and social norms that embed injustice and prejudice. “We were polite, but we were not compassionate” the character says. This phrase has stuck with me — perhaps because, although Toni Morrison was an American, there is something that challenges us as Canadians with our stereotypical politeness — which can allow injustice and prejudice to go unchallenged. Never, ever let politeness stand in the way of speaking up against hatred, racism, misogyny, pseudoscience and prejudice. Take your skills, your insights, your talents, and use your voice, for positive change, as leaders, as creators, to make spaces for those not in the room, for those who don’t have a voice. I challenge you to lead us in facing our uncomfortable truths, and to be bold. May you all raise your voices in the places where they need to be heard, may you be caring leaders and may those bold loud (and perhaps not always so polite) voices always, always be compassionate.

Congratulations and Thank you