Tufts University - Index

Tufts University - Tufts Tisch College Beyond Boundaries - Index

March 1965: Civil rights activists march from Selma to Montgomery to protest denial of voting rights to African Americans.
“The future health of our democracy is something we cannot take for granted. It depends
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absolutely on the character and commitment of our citizens—the citizens we produce.”
E X P L O S V E
Brian O’Connell, Professor of Citizenship and Public Service, Trustee Emeritus
P O S S B L T E S
As it turns out, a democratic society is a high-
maintenance proposition. But you’d never know
it from the way most of us behave. On the whole,
America’s civic life conforms to an old adage
about volunteer organizations—that 10 percent
of the people do 90 percent of the work.
Yet imagine what kind of nation we could make if we could change those
numbers—even turn them on their heads. What if 90 percent of Americans
felt personally responsible for the fate of their communities, and had the skills
and confidence to be creative leaders in shaping our shared future on Earth?
At Tisch College, we would surely like to have that kind of magic wand.
But in its absence, we offer something almost as miraculous: a formula for
transforming the fiery energy, talent, and idealism of young people into a
crackling force for an energized democracy.
In our friends and supporters, we know we will find the right spark.