As I contemplate the kind of future I want for children-my own and other people's-I believe we must look inward to God for guidance and strength and backward to draw on the values and legacies of our families, ancestors, and communities.

The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to.

Every day I wear my Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth medallions around my neck. When I think I'm having a bad day, I try to think about their day, and I get up.

Whoever said anyone has the right to give up.

[Martin Luther ] King didn't pick his leadership position. Most movements are not started by single people.

When President Kennedy was elected, many black Americans, like so many Americans, were captivated by his youth and energy and promise and were especially hopeful that he might move the country in a new direction on civil rights.

History does not pose problems without eventually producing the solutions.