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| Kevin Grout, McConnell Scholar |
By Kevin Grout, Class of 2016
As my first semester at the University of Louisville comes to a close, I want to take this time to reflect on the lessons learned, the experiences had, and the time well spent. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my experience, and I know there are sure to be many more to come.
Today, I finished my final project for my political discourse class. We were to take one of the great speeches of the Civil Rights Era and present it as if we were giving the speech for the first time. I was tasked with delivering Barbara Jordan’s 1976 Democratic National Convention Speech. In a pivotal time of American history, Jordan broke barriers that had hindered the politics in this country for hundreds of years. Barbara Jordan tried to move America forward.
“We are a people in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future. We are a people in search of a national community.”
In the speech, Jordan examines what this country needs right now, and she tries to inspire all those who can hear her voice to make the necessary moves towards a national community. She is tired of a nation that is segregated along any lines, and she implores the people of America to come together as one. Barbara Jordan admits to the mistakes of the Democratic Party, yet she knows that their ideology is still one of inclusiveness and equality.
This speech was truly a moving one. Although this speech was almost a decade after the major Civil Rights Movement, I could see that America still had work to do. Spending time listening to other speeches in the class and working with my own, I began to truly appreciate the words and feelings of the speakers.
This first semester of college has made me completely rethink how I approach learning. Interestingly, this fits nicely with the McConnell Center’s reTHINK program. Instead of learning facts simply for good grades, I’m beginning to seek knowledge on my own. I go through my days looking for what will help me create the best version of myself, not what will give me the best transcript.
At first, this speech was a class assignment. Now at the end, however, it transformed into a journey through Barbara Jordan’s entire life work for equality and community. I truly began to feel her passion and drive. This project really inspired me to find my passion, and give it my whole spirit.
Kevin Grout, of Boone County, Ky., is a freshman McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He is studying political science and history.