Max Cleland: “Thomas Carlyle once said, ``a mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one.'' In light of the events of September 11…”

“Thomas Carlyle once said, ``a mystic bond of brotherhood makes all men one.'' In light of the events of September 11, this statement has never rung truer. To see the firefighters, police, and rescue teams working side by side in the recovery effort at the World Trade Center, seeking peace for their fallen comrades whether black, white, Hispanic or Asian reminds us just how far we have come in only a few short decades. And yet there is still a great distance to travel. This month, as we celebrate Black History and the contributions made by members of the African American community, we must remember that work still remains to be done. Senior leadership at Fortune 500 companies and even our own Congress fails to reflect America's racial demographics. But we are certainly moving in the right direction. Less than 50 years ago, it was unthinkable that a black man or woman be an elected official, or university president, or hold any number of other prestigious positions across our Nation. That started to change, though, with the bravery of men like Doctors Martin Luther King, Jr. and Benjamin E. Mays.”