I’m almost scared to ask, what would Mumia’s “better” America look like?

PLAINFIELD, Vt. (AP) –  A one-time death row inmate now serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer spoke to a graduating class at a Vermont college Sunday, encouraging them to strive to transform the world.

Mumia Abu-Jamal spoke by video to 20 students receiving bachelor degrees from Goddard College in Plainfield. He earned a degree from the college in 1996.

“Think about the myriad of problems that beset this land and strive to make it better,” Abu-Jamal said in the video.

He said his studies at Goddard allowed him to learn about important figures in distant lands.

“Goddard reawakened in me my love of learning,” he said. “In my mind, I left death row.”

The former Black Panther did not address the crime for which he was convicted. He originally was sentenced to death for killing white police Officer Daniel Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981, but he was resentenced to life in 2012.

His claims that he’s been victimized by a racist justice system have attracted international support. A radio show, documentaries and books have helped publicize his case. Goddard College describes him as “an award winning journalist who chronicles the human condition.”