By Rhea Choudhary | Staff Writer
Returning to the program that helped pave her path as a national leader, Baylor Interdisciplinary Core alumna and TIME magazine honoree Skye Perryman challenged students, faculty and alumni to embrace courage and defend academic freedom during her keynote address Friday at the BIC’s 30th anniversary homecoming celebration.
Perryman, a 2003 Baylor graduate and Georgetown Law School alumna, is the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonprofit legal organization based in Washington, D.C. She was named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2023 for her advocacy on issues of democracy, education and equity.
Opening the event, Dr. Sarah Jane Murray, professor of Great Texts and creative writing, celebrated Perryman’s long-standing connection to the program, recalling her service as a co-chair of the BIC Leadership Council and as a BIC community leader while at Baylor.
“Skye generated a strong community around her,” Murray said, stating that Perryman was once a Harry S. Truman Scholar and spent her undergraduate years tutoring Waco ISD students through GEAR UP before graduating with honors.
In her speech, Perryman spoke about formative moments from her Baylor years, particularly the aftermath of 9/11, when she was a junior in the BIC. She recalled how professors modeled openness and vulnerability, bringing students together to understand a complex world.
“That experience showed me what it means to live the examined life,” Perryman said. “BIC’ers are changing the world, as doctors, as civil servants, as lawyers — the world needs you. The world needs your commitment to the examined life.”
The tone shifted from reflection to urgency, warning of increasing threats to academic freedom and democratic discourse. Perryman cited examples of university presidents stepping down over value conflicts, faculty dismissals across Texas, and the recent shutdown of a Baylor-affiliated online LGBTQ+ research project.
“The freedom to live an examined life is under threat,” Perryman said. “It’s not unreasonable for us, as alumni, teachers and students, to be concerned about this university’s fate. It requires all of us.”
Perryman connected these challenges to broader patterns across higher education and democracy, invoking Socrates and the long lineage of advocates for civil rights and social progress.
“We stand on the shoulders of those who fought for freedom, from immigrants to soldiers to LGBTQ+ advocates,” Perryman said. “Our cause has always been an underdog cause.”
Throughout the keynote address, Perryman talked about how courage must guide both scholars and citizens through uncertain times.
“Community is a space where you can ask questions, disagree and still belong,” Perryman said. “That is what the BIC stands for. The cost of acting is hard, but the cost of not acting is higher. Courage is the new currency; it’s what will take us from where we are to where we need to be.”
The speech concluded with a standing ovation from BIC alumni, students and faculty celebrating three decades of the BIC’s mission to build global understanding and critical inquiry, a mission Perryman said is more crucial than ever.
“As we celebrate 30 years of the BIC, the question we should be asking is, ‘What are we going to do about it?’” Perryman said. “I believe the answers are sitting right here, in this room.”
