Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison talked with Northwestern students Tuesday about American politics, activism and his journey with Islam in an event hosted by the Muslim-cultural Students Association.
McSA hosted Ellison as its spring speaker to explore the intersections between faith and politics. He delved into his history in student activism and in leading the prosecution of the police officers charged with murdering George Floyd.
Ellison served as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress from 2007 to 2019 and said he was proud not of being the first — but that he wasn’t the last.
Ellison converted to Islam in college after following his friend to a sermon about the message of Muhammad. He also highlighted ways in which the Muslim community has contributed to American politics.
“The question for us then is how we manage political participation and our faith,” Ellison said at the event.
To Ellison, the answer is allowing his religious values to inform how he protects communities and their choices without imposing his values on his constituents.
Ellison emphasized the importance of political participation, which he compared to running to get a slice of cake in the center of a crowded room. He explained although someone may only get a small bit of icing, it is still better to run than not to get anything.
“Sitting back is the worst way to get a good outcome,” Ellison said.
Discussion of the Israel-Hamas war occupied much of the event, especially when Ellison talked about voters’ preferences for candidates in the 2024 election. Ellison said neither candidate was perfect, but he supported former Vice President Kamala Harris as the best of the two options.
In response to audience questions, he said the Democrats had learned lessons since Harris lost the election in November.
Ellison also touched on his experience prosecuting Derek Chauvin, a police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and the effects of police violence on official relationships with communities.
“Policing in the U.S. has always had two functions: one, legitimate policing and two, maintaining hierarchy,” Ellison said.
Weinberg junior Yahya Arastu helped organize the event. He said he thought it would be an opportunity for students to hear from a leader in the Muslim community and on the national political stage, as well as a sign of hope.
“I think we’ve had a lot of bad news in the past two years,” Arastu said. “I think that there’s hope for the future, a way forward. I think that’s a positive that people will hopefully benefit from and use that in the future.”
Ellison also briefly talked about his family’s experiences with segregation and his activism for his alma mater — Wayne State University — to divest from South Africa as part of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, which gained traction at college campuses in the 1980s.
Weinberg junior Inaya Hussain said the talk offered a different perspective into U.S. politics.
Walking into the event, Hussain said she had hoped to learn about Ellison’s history with student activism and afterward wished he had explored it more.
“I feel like these are all perennially important topics to think about, even if we feel like America has moved past them,” Hussain said.
Ellison advertised the planned anti-President Donald Trump “No Kings Day” protests on June 14 and encouraged students to continue to actively participate in politics.
“If you step up in the moment, we’re going to be ok,” Ellison said.
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