U.S.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester isnt a scholar or a lawyer, she told a
University of Delaware audience on Sept. 17Constitution Daybut she
feels a personal connection to the 231-year-old document.
Blunt Rochester, the first woman and first person of color to
represent Delaware in Congress, delivered UDs eighth annual James R.
Soles Lecture on the Constitution and Citizenship. She noted that, of
all the possible ways the Framers could have started their document,
they began with the phrase, We the people.
Those three words, she said, show the foundation of what has made the
U.S. Constitution a living, breathing document that has endured as a
manifestation of such values as liberty and justice.
It derives its power from the people, Blunt Rochester said. Our Constitution has set the example for the rest of the world.
But, just as society has changed since its ratification in 1787, the
Constitution has been adapted as well, through amendments, different
interpretations and court decisions, she said.
The result? How we define the people has changed over the years,
and now encompasses many groups who were not afforded rights by the
Framers.
Blunt Rochester cited four amendments that she connected directly to
herself and her family, beginning with the 13th amendment, outlawing
slavery, and the 14th, granting citizenship to those formerly enslaved.
The 15th amendment gave my father the right to vote, she said. And
then the 19th gave me the right to vote. The audience applauded.
Blunt Rochester showed the large white scarf she carried when she
took the oath of office for Congress in January 2017 and has had with
her ever since. On the scarf is the image of a Reconstruction Era voter
registration card from Georgia that her sister had discovered while
researching their family history.
My great-great-great grandfather, a former slave, signed the card
with an X for his signature, Blunt Rochester said. He couldnt write
his full name, but he knew he wanted to vote.
Thinking about him reminds me of where I came from and how much
things have changed for so many people, she said. It reminds me that we
can overcome, because we have overcome.
Blunt Rochester also praised todays increase in civic engagement,
with more Americans from more diverse backgrounds involved in public
policy, in voting and in running for office. She termed the enthusiasm
citizenship on steroids.
Our nation is having a moment, she said. Everyday people are
thinking about what being a citizen really means. We are living in
truly historic times.
Blunt Rochester is a UD alumna who earned her master's degree in 2002 in urban affairs and public policy.
About the lecture and Professor Soles
The Soles Lecture honors the late James R. Soles, who was a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and International Relations
for more than 34 years. Ed Freel, a retired policy scientist with UDs
Institute for Public Administration and former Delaware secretary of
state, described Professor Soles as a mentor to thousands of Delaware
students, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in public
service. The occasion of the annual lecture, he said, is an appropriate
time to pause and remember what made him so special. Professor Soles
received numerous awards for his teaching, mentoring and his lifelong
commitment to the Constitution and civic engagement, Freel said.
Article by Ann Manser; photos by Kathy F. Atkinson
