Bernie Sanders' 4 wisest pieces of advice for college graduates

Haley Samsel | college.usatoday.com

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders does not usually mince words in his fiery speeches, and his commencement address to Brooklyn College graduates on Tuesday was no exception.

Returning to his home borough of Brooklyn, Sanders addressed many of the issues that drove his 2016 presidential campaign: income inequality, the criminal justice system and climate change. Amid his calls for students to embrace "progressive, humane values," Sanders offered four key pieces of advice to the class of 2017 as they enter a new phase of their lives.

1. Never forget who sacrificed to make your dreams possible

Toward the beginning of his remarks, Sanders took time to reflect on the people who made his success possible: his parents. He recalled growing up in a three-and-a-half-room, rent-controlled apartment, struggling with financial pressure.

"From those experiences of growing up without a lot of money, I have never forgotten that there are millions of people throughout this country who struggle to put food on the table, pay the electric bill, try to save for their kids' education or for retirement — people who, against great odds, are fighting today to live in dignity," Sanders told the crowd.

Sanders spoke about his father's decision at age 17 to leave Poland, a country in which "anti-Semitism, pogroms and attacks on Jews were not uncommon." While his father was able to escape the terrors of the Holocaust, several of his relatives did not.

"For them, racism, right-wing extremism and ultra-nationalism were not 'political issues,'" Sanders said. "They were issues of life and death — and some of them died horrific deaths."

Sanders' message to students was clear: They should not forget the sacrifices their families made to provide them with the opportunity to graduate from college and pursue a fulfilling career.

Your voice is important -- and necessary

Sanders told the graduates that Americans have essentially two options as they face the economic, racial and environmental challenges of the 21st century: to "throw up our hands in despair" and not get involved, or to "stand up and fight back."

"The issues that we deal with today ... not only impact your lives, they impact the lives of future generations and you do not have the moral right to turn your back on saving this planet and saving future generations," Sanders said.

He implored students to lend their voices to "fight for a vision of a new America" and prepare to fight for the causes important to them.

"The truth is that the only rational choice we have, the only real response we can make is to stand up and fight back — reclaim American democracy and create a government that works for all of us, not just the 1 percent," Sanders said.

Related: 'Don't be afraid,' Hillary Clinton tells Wellesley graduates

Look for unity amid political turmoil

The country's tense political climate has only intensified since the 2016 election cycle, and Sanders did not ignore the turmoil facing college graduates as they enter adulthood. He urged the audience to not allow "demagogues" to divide them by race, religion, national origin, gender or sexual orientation.

"Black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American, Christian, Jew, Muslim and every religion, straight or gay, male or female, we must stand together," Sanders said. "This country belongs to all of us."

Though he expressed grave concerns about the challenges facing the U.S., namely climate change and rising income inequality, Sanders called for optimism and unity to solve societal problems.

"We are an intelligent and hardworking people," Sanders said. "If we are prepared to stand together, if we take on greed and selfishness, if we refuse to allow demagogues to divide us up, there is no end to what the great people of our nation can accomplish."

My message to the graduates of Brooklyn College today was very simple: Help us create the nation that we all know we can become. pic.twitter.com/2X84Tz0OeO — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 30, 2017

"Think big, not small"

To cap off his address, Sanders defined his "vision for a new America," listing out the policies he hoped the graduates would fight for, among them measures to fight climate change and federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Beyond the policy measures, he said he had one "very simple message" for the graduates.

"Think big, not small, and help us create the nation that we all know we can become," Sanders said.

Haley Samsel is an American University student and a USA TODAY digital producer.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.