Actor Harrison Ford told graduates at Arizona State University (ASU) to “extend social justice” to clean up the environmental “mess” his generation left behind for them.
The legendary “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” actor gave the commencement speech during a graduation ceremony on May 11, where he received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters degree for his work in conservation.
Ford’s background in fighting climate change was a significant theme throughout the speech as he warned students about the need for “cultural change” to prevent “mass extinction” caused by corruption and global warming.
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“Humanity is a part of nature, not above it,” Ford said. “We have an essential mandate to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030, to prevent the mass extinction, to slow the warming of our planet. Still, despite new science, new policies, we are still losing nature to profiteering, corruption, conflict — including land that is already protected on paper. These efforts matter, but they’re not enough.”
He continued, “We need cultural change. We need to extend social justice. We need to respect and elevate the Indigenous people that are being marginalized and, in many cases, killed in cold blood. These communities have long understood that the trees, the mountain, water, soil are not commodities. They are relatives to be cherished for following generations to embrace and protect.”
Ford encouraged graduates and members of their generation to go out and “change the world” after acknowledging that past generations, including his, left the world a mess.
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“We can all play a role by embracing that wisdom in our day-to-day lives, by loving the planet, by honoring nature’s authority, her generosity, the bounty she affords us, the justice of her example, because the world you’re stepping into, the world my generation left you, is a real mess,” Ford said.
He added, “Your generation has far more power than you may realize. And if you harness that power, if you find your leadership, your issues, your voice, the world will not be able to ignore you.”
In a comment to Fox News Digital, a ASU representative pointed to another speech given by University President Michael Crow, who praised the founding of America and called people who were sick of the country “losers.”
“[U]niversities are not about one perspective or position,” the ASU representative said.
Ford, who previously said his “moral purpose was being a Democrat,” has also been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump. He was among several celebrities who endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
The ASU speech came before a recent report by The College Fix showed Democrats outnumbering Republicans by more than 6-to-1 among commencement speakers at the top U.S. colleges for this year.
