Few whites are ready to actively promote civil rights for blacks.

Slavery is, as an example of what white America has done, a constant reminder of what white America might do.

Power in the hands of the reformer is no less potentially corrupting than in the hands of the oppressor.

The challenge throughout has been to tell what I view as the truth about racism without causing disabling despair.

All ethical people strive to choose "right" over "easy" when confronted by situations that force them to choose one or the other.

However self-sufficient we may fancy ourselves, we exist only in relation - to our friend, family, and life partners; to those we teach and mentor; to our coworkers, neighbors, strangers; and even to forces we cannot fully conceive of, let alone define. In many ways, we are our relationships.

Courage is a decision you make to act in a way that works through your own fear for the greater good as opposed to pure self-interest. Courage means putting at risk your immediate self-interest for what you believe is right.