On the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom as a 66 year old black woman(who who attended that march in 1963) I am grateful for:
1.Those who stood for, fought for and died for a vision for full equality and justice for all.
2. The Harriet Tubmans, Marcus Garveys, founders of the NAACP who fought even though they knew they might never reap the benefits of full equality and justice.
3. My parents, grandparents, great grandparents who instilled in me the commitment to community.
3. The powerful messages they have left with us that inspire and encourage us to stay on the battlefield:
"For all those whose cares have been our concerns, the work goes on, the cause endures and the dream shall never die."(Edward Kennedy, August 1980)
And to remember that the struggle goes on:
"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." (Martin Luther King, Jr., 1961)
Anybody Can Be Great