Political Quotes

“I rise today as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. African Americans and other minorities have been affected tremendously by this landmark decision and have benefited from it over several decades. We would like to think that our country now benefits from the inclusion of having a more enriched and diverse classroom, workplace, and community. We now have more black doctors, lawyers, Members of Congress, CEOs, scientists, astronauts, teachers and the list continues. There is no doubt Brown represents the power and potential of masses united in struggle for justice and equality. The larger question before us today is, has Brown achieved its goal of equality in education and educational opportunity for African Americans? The sad answer, after so many decades of struggle, remains: No. When compared to their White counterparts, African American children were three times as likely to be labeled mentally retarded or emotionally disturbed. The number of African Americans attending graduate, medical or dental school slowly has been declining. There are more black males in our prison than in our institutions of higher education. Although there are 39 African American Members of Congress in the House of Representatives, there is not one black man or woman serving in the U.S. Senate. Out of our 50 states that make up our great Nation--not one has a black man or woman at the top as Governor.”