We Can Be Heroes

He was brilliant, brave, and curious — and his tale unspools like a thrilling mystery. Architect Raoul Wallenberg, ’35, protected thousands of Jews from the Nazis in World War II. And then he vanished off the face of the earth. Details of his disappearance remain a mystery to this day, but he likely was murdered in a Russian prison shortly after the war ended. And though he is gone, the descendants of those Wallenberg saved continue to walk this earth, thanks to his courage and ingenuity. Each year the University confers its Wallenberg Medal to those individuals who demonstrate the capacity of the human spirit to stand up for the helpless, defend the integrity of the powerless, and speak out on behalf of the voiceless. The 2018 Wallenberg Medal recognized two youth organizations working to end gun violence. Representatives for the Chicago-based youth organization B.R.A.V.E. and the student activists behind March For Our Lives in Parkland, Fla., accepted the honors Nov. 14 in Rackham Auditorium. Read full story at Michigan Today View video of the 2018 medal ceremony and speeches by the youth leaders More on Wallenberg A World War ll hero's lasting legacy Wallenberg legacy