Choosing Perseverance: Madeleine Albright’s Call Beyond Complacency

By Ian Kim ’27

By 1997, the United States had achieved substantial progress toward gender equality, yet inequality had not been completely eliminated. Although many legal and social barriers had been removed, women continued to face obstacles that limited their advancement, often described as being held on “dirt floors” or blocked by invisible “glass ceilings.” As the first female Secretary of State of the United States, Madeleine Albright addressed these realities in her commencement speech at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s college in Massachusetts. Speaking to graduates preparing to enter the world beyond academia, Albright emphasizes that progress does not sustain itself. Instead, it depends on the choices individuals and nations make after success has been achieved. Through her contrast between complacency and perseverance, her acknowledgment of women who endured oppression, and her direct appeal to her audience, Albright effectively encourages graduates to continue challenging limitations and contributing to a more just world.

Albright begins by presenting a series of national examples that illustrate the choice between satisfaction and continued responsibility. When she references the fall of the Berlin Wall, she notes that it is “now a memory,” suggesting that the United States could choose to be content with that accomplishment. However, she immediately explains that the nation instead chose to expand and adapt NATO to ensure long-term peace in Europe. By highlighting cooperation with Russia, a former Cold War rival, Albright demonstrates that genuine progress requires perseverance even after conflict ends. She repeats this pattern when discussing nuclear security, peace in Bosnia, and global economic growth, emphasizing that improvement does not signal an end to responsibility. By placing the “status of women” at the end of this sequence, Albright strategically transitions from global concerns to personal accountability.

After establishing perseverance as a national value, Albright reinforces her message by acknowledging women who have endured systemic oppression. Her references to “dirt floors” and “glass ceilings” serve as powerful metaphors for economic hardship and institutional barriers. Rather than portraying these obstacles as discouraging, Albright frames them as evidence of resilience and strength. By honoring women who persisted despite inequality, she reminds her audience that progress has always required courage and determination.

In her conclusion, Albright directly addresses the Mount Holyoke graduates, transforming her speech from reflection into a call to action. Through inclusive language, she invites her audience to see themselves as active participants in ongoing progress rather than passive beneficiaries of past victories. Her warning against acting “narrowly, selfishly, and complacently” challenges graduates to reject comfort, while her encouragement to act “with courage and faith” empowers them to pursue leadership. Ultimately, Albright leaves her audience with a lasting reminder that equality is not a finished achievement but an ongoing responsibility.