W.E.B. Du Bois: “Idle words; he might have borne his burden more bravely than we,—aye, and found it lighter too, some day; for surely…”

Let the ears of a guilty people tingle with truth, and seventy millions sigh for the righteousness which exalteth nations, in this drear day when human brotherhood is mockery and a snare.

Around us the history of the land has centred for thrice a hundred years; out of the nation’s heart we have called all that was best to throttle and subdue all that was worst; fire and blood, prayer and sacrifice, have billowed over this…

Our song, our toil, our cheer, and warning have been given to this nation in blood-brotherhood.

But whichever it is, the meaning is always clear: that sometime, somewhere, men will judge men by their souls and not by their skins.