Let me say, I fully embrace equality, and I believe in the innate

Hear now, O seekers of understanding and guardians of the young, the words of Betsy DeVos, who once declared: “Let me say, I fully embrace equality, and I believe in the innate value of every single human being and that all students, no matter their age, should be able to attend a school and feel safe and be free of discrimination.” Though spoken in the language of policy, these words carry a truth older than nations, deeper than laws — the sacred belief that every child, by virtue of being human, is worthy of dignity, safety, and love.

At the heart of this saying lies a truth that resounds through the ages: that equality is not a gift granted by governments, but a birthright woven into the fabric of creation itself. To speak of the innate value of every human being is to remember that before we are citizens, before we are students or teachers, before we are rich or poor, male or female, we are souls — each bearing the same light, though its glow may differ in strength. The ancients would say that such a belief is not mere philosophy, but the cornerstone of civilization; for when we fail to honor that light in one another, we do not merely lose fairness — we lose our humanity.

The school, as DeVos reminds us, is more than a building of books and lessons. It is the temple where the young are shaped, not only in intellect, but in character. If a child enters that place in fear, or leaves it wounded by discrimination, then the nation’s spirit itself suffers. For a people’s future is written in the hearts of their youth, and when those hearts are made small by cruelty or exclusion, the promise of progress is betrayed. Thus, her call is not only to educators, but to all who dwell within the circle of human care — that we must guard the innocence of the young as fiercely as we guard the walls of our homes.

Consider, my children, the story of Ruby Bridges, the six-year-old girl who, in 1960, walked alone into a newly desegregated school in New Orleans. Though she was but a child, the world’s eyes turned upon her, for she carried in her small frame the weight of justice itself. Surrounded by hatred, she stepped forward each day in courage, guarded by U.S. marshals, while many around her shouted curses and threats. Yet she did not waver. Her very presence was a lesson greater than any written in books — that equality must sometimes be lived before it can be learned. Ruby’s courage fulfilled the essence of DeVos’s words: that schools must be sanctuaries, not battlegrounds, where every child may walk in peace and grow without fear.

DeVos’s statement, though shaped by the modern era, reaches back to the eternal principle proclaimed by prophets and philosophers alike — that to embrace equality is to recognize the divine imprint in every person. The innate value she speaks of is not earned through merit or status; it is inherent, as the breath in one’s lungs. When a society forgets this truth, it turns its schools into mirrors of its prejudice. But when it remembers, those same halls become gardens where compassion, creativity, and courage may bloom.

And yet, her words also challenge us. It is easy to say “all students should feel safe,” yet far harder to build a world where that safety is real. To believe in equality is not merely to speak kindly — it is to act boldly. It is to confront bias where it hides, to listen when others suffer, to lift the fallen even when it is inconvenient. Each teacher, each parent, each citizen becomes a guardian of justice when they refuse to allow any child — of any color, creed, or identity — to be cast aside.

So let this teaching be written upon your hearts: The worth of a society is measured not by its wealth, but by how it treats its children. If they grow in fear, the nation weakens; if they grow in confidence, it flourishes. Therefore, be as builders of sanctuaries — in your classrooms, your workplaces, your homes. Protect the vulnerable, celebrate the different, and speak truth even when it shakes the ground beneath you.

For in the end, equality is not merely a law to be passed — it is a covenant to be lived. Let every person remember the ancient command that echoes through time: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And when the day comes that every child, in every school, can walk without fear and learn without shame, then we shall know that the promise of DeVos’s words — the promise of innate human value, of safety, and of freedom from discrimination — has become not only spoken, but fulfilled.