Former Governor Doug Wilder was recently awarded the second-ever Defender of Democracy Award from the University of Virginia Center for Politics’.

During a ceremony on Friday, the 92-year-old Wilder spoke for 45 minutes, telling the story of overcoming discrimination in the military, education system, the legal bar system and the political system.

While he was the nation’s first elected black governor, Wilder said he never ran for office as a black man but ran on what he could accomplish for Virginia.

Wilder had that same advice for students in attendance who are thinking about seeking office, asking them what they plan put on the table – besides their elbows.