Political Quotes

“I wish today to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I would like to take this opportunity not only to talk about the man but also the movement. During a time of segregation, violence, unnecessary bloodshed, and ignorant bigotry, a man named Martin Luther King, Jr., graced the world with his poignant determination for peace. His life continues to inspire not only Americans but the world in continued efforts for equality amongst all men and women. This week the Nation reflects on Dr. King's life and legacy. I remember being a young man during his lifetime. I remember not only the struggles he faced but the justice he longed for. As I reread Dr. King's letter from Birmingham Jail, where he wrote about trying to explain to one's child why she can't go to a public amusement park because she was Black; where he wrote about the humiliation of nagging signs that read 'white' and 'colored;' where he wrote about the internal fight against a 'degenerating sense of nobodiness,' I ask our Nation not to return to such a time but instead continue to move our Nation forward in accepting all people. While Dr. King was fighting for national civil rights, I was growing up in Baltimore City, MD. I attended a segregated public school, and I remember with great sadness how discrimination was not only condoned but, more often than not, actually encouraged against Blacks, Jews, Catholics, and other minorities in the community.”