We were trying to transform America, not triumph over white folk.

Freedom is a struggle, and we do it together. Not only together as black citizens, but black and white together.

I think we've made tremendous progress on racism. We've even made progress on war. We've made almost no progress on poverty.

If I wanted to develop a scenario to destroy America, I would do what the Republicans are doing. Take the brightest and best young black men off the streets, put them in jail, make them meaner than hell for 8 or 10 years and then turn them lose in a society where there are plenty of guns for them to play with.

Martin Luther King was talking about racism, war and poverty. I think we have made progress enormous progress in racism and war, but we have made little or no progress in poverty. And it's because the economy has gotten more and more complex as we have globalized.

No nation as rich as ours should have so many people isolated on islands of poverty in such a sea of material wealth.

I like my life. I've had a good life. I think the reason is my parents taught me that life is a burden. But if you take it one day at a time, it's an easy burden.