Darlington Sehgbean
Embedded Files
Student Author, The Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota
Conference Participation
Lightning Round II: Impact of Government and Community Interventions
on Reducing Inequality
Book: We Had to Run: Liberian Journeys from War to Belonging
Abstract: My book examines how the treatment of immigrants and displaced people reveals the moral health of a democracy. Drawing from the Liberian experience in the United States and the long uncertainty of temporary protection, it argues that human rights and human dignity are practical tests of whether democratic institutions recognize the full humanity of those living in legal and political limbo. When states rely on temporary fixes, exclusion, and fear, they weaken trust, belonging, and democratic legitimacy. A democracy with a future must move beyond survival-based protection and build durable, rights-based systems that uphold dignity, expand inclusion, and affirm that no human being should live permanently in uncertainty.
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Biography: Darlington Sehgbean, author of “We Had to Run,” is a Master of Human Rights student at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the College of Liberal Arts. His academic and professional work focuses on migration, refugee protection, and practical human rights solutions that strengthen dignity, stability, and belonging. He works with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office Be@School program at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, supporting students and families through early intervention, resource navigation, and community-based care. Shaped by his own experience as an immigrant, Darlington brings together lived experience, scholarship, and advocacy in both his writing and public service. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he received the Advocacy Champion Award for his commitment to community advocacy and student leadership. He is committed to using storytelling and policy engagement while centering the voices and realities of displaced communities in the United States today.
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