From Dr. Martin Luther August 28, 1963. I have bolded the key phrase:
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹
I was 12 years old, a white boy from a historically racist area and, sadly, with family members who were overtly racist, when this speech was delivered. Today, I voted for an African-American man who is not just a leader that I believe in, but a symbol of the truth that, in this election, we all have something for which to vote (and someone we can follow for whom to vote).
As I ponder this historic election, I am especially grateful to John Kerry, who provided the platform to introduce this country to Barack Obama, and Howard Dean, who led the way to a 50 state strategy. Senator Obama deserves all of our support as he has earned it with his life and his intellect and his heart and his brilliant campaign. But he stands on the shoulders of Dr. King, John Kerry, Howard Dean, and a host of others.