Work Hard, Be Kind, Be Bold

Justice Jackson’s Advice to Future Leaders

On Oct. 23, Cal State Dominguez Hills President Thomas Parham welcomed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the 2025 Presidential Distinguished Lecture, framing the evening as both historic and deeply symbolic.

Addressing a full auditorium and overflow rooms, Parham linked the occasion to two milestones in the pursuit of justice — the 78th anniversary of W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP’s An Appeal to the World to the United Nations, and the 70th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott that propelled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. into national prominence.

Invoking those anniversaries, Parham reminded the audience that higher education must remain “truth-tellers about the night side of American democracy,” urging students and citizens to “walk the streets with dignity rather than ride the bus in humiliation.” He praised those who chose principle over convenience and called on future generations to carry their legacy through civic action and intellectual honesty.

Reflecting on the university’s social justice roots after the 1965 Watts Rebellion, Parham described CSUDH as a model of inclusive excellence — 91% students of color, 65% women — and a place where access and transformation define success. “We will judge our worth,” he said, “by the number of lives we uplift, not the number of students we keep out.”

He traced the evolution of the Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series, launched in 2018 to foster courageous dialogue on issues shaping society. Past speakers have included Olympian Tommy Smith, then Rep. Karen Bass, Dr. Michael Drake, and musician Kenny G. Bringing Justice Jackson to campus, Parham said, fulfilled the series’ vision of elevating public discourse and modeling leadership grounded in integrity.

Introducing Jackson, Parham reflected on her groundbreaking path — from Harvard to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, from federal judge to the first Black woman on the Supreme Court — likening her journey to Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman, a portrait of intellect, perseverance, and grace under pressure. He revealed that the 18-month effort to bring her to campus began in 2023 and culminated serendipitously in his final year as president. He described her as “the smile from the ancestors for the progress she represents,” a living embodiment of possibility.

As expected, Justice Jackson avoided commenting on current cases, instead centering her lecture on her memoir Lovely One and the values that shaped her life. Offering three enduring lessons —.work hard, be kind, and be bold — she credited her parents, both educators, for instilling a belief that “ordinary people can do extraordinary things.” She spoke of humility and kindness, recalling a childhood moment when her mother taught her compassion for those with fewer opportunities.

Jackson shared how courage guided her advocacy for retroactive sentencing reform during her tenure on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, despite professional risk. She traced her lineage to grandparents who rose from segregation-era poverty through determination and education, underscoring the intergenerational belief in progress through learning.

Candid about the isolation she faced as a Black woman in predominantly white spaces, Jackson cited community and faith as her moral grounding. Quoting Toni Morrison, she warned that racism can distract and derail purpose, urging students to stay focused and resilient. She closed with a reflection on legacy, hoping to be remembered as “a communicator and inspiration” — especially for children who see themselves reflected in her story. Her message was clear: civic engagement, kindness and collective commitment are essential to preserving democracy.