Keynote Remarks: First Lady Jill Biden, United States

Speaker:

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States

Taking the stage, U.S. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden reminisced about her recent visit to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. She was touched by the outpouring of love and grief for the long-time monarch from the people of the United Kingdom and from leaders worldwide. As First Lady, Biden said, she has had the opportunity to meet people from Japan to Ecuador and she has seen that our differences are precious but our similarities are infinite. 

It is tempting, she continued, to believe that other people’s problems are theirs alone to solve, but we have seen through COVID, hunger, climate change, and democratic backsliding that we are all connected. We need leaders who are not afraid. President Biden understands this, she said. No one person or one country can do it alone so we must act with diplomacy, democracy, and humility. She closed by reaffirming that Concordia’s work shows that our lives are tied in immeasurable and powerful ways.

“When children don’t have to worry about hunger, they can become the leaders and innovators that we need. That’s why this Summit matters.”

 

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States