Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder calls on Xavierites to do their civic duty
October 31, 2022
By Jordan Booker, Staff Writer
President Reynold C. Verret (left) and Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (Photo by Mark Veals)
It has been six years since Eric Holder has held the position of U.S. Attorney General. But he feels compelled to still engage in civic life after holding national office. In his new book “Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote – A History, A Crisis, A Plan,” he shared that his sole purpose is to keep the fight for voting rights front and center in American consciousness.
“We have got to recognize that the power still resides with us, and especially with young people,” Holder told the graduating class of 2023 and first year students who attended Founder’s Day Convocation on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. “You all are now the largest voting bloc in this country, you have the greatest power as a bloc than any other bloc in this country and yet you don’t exercise that power,” Holder said.
Social justice work is not new to Holder, who clerked with NAACP Legal Defense Fund while in law school. His career in the public eye spanned over four decades and three administrations. He hoped to inspire students to take on a life of public service.
“Thank you especially for your work in recent years … defending suffrage in the United States and helping us understand why it’s an essential element of our democracy,” said Xavier President Dr. Reynold Verret.
Holder said now he dedicates his time to continue fighting for voting access and using his platform to educate Americans on this issue. From being a correspondent on CNN to engaging younger voters directly, he hopes that his insights as the former Attorney General will encourage citizens to remain vigilant about their rights.
Holder left the students with a call to action to secure their future and to get involved in protecting the rights of the next generation.
“You’re the leaders of this country going forward and unless you all dedicate yourselves to making this country better it’s not going to happen. You can’t wait for other people, the cavalry is not coming. You all are the cavalry,” Holder said.
