Throughout American history many of our social gains and much of our progress toward democracy were made possible by the active intervention of the federal government.

Let's not be overconfident, we still have to count the votes.

Chicago is one city. We shall work as one people for our common good and our common goals.

The third fallacy is that affirmative action doesn't work.

What is so remarkable about the success of affirmative action is that it has been accomplished despite the Justice Department and the policies of the federal government.

Affirmative action works but we're going to need to muster all our political resources if we are to keep it in place.

Chicago has been characterized as the most segregated city in the United States, a city they said could never change.

I am interested in garnering the white vote, and the black vote, and the Latin vote, and the Asian vote, and the business vote, and the labor vote.

I cannot watch the city of Chicago be destroyed by petty politics and bad government.

I want to be a mayor who helped, really helped.

I have been urged by the earnest pleas of thousands of people to enter this race. Therefore, I hereby declare my candidacy for Mayor of Chicago.

The writer's gift can make us see ourselves and our morals differently than our reality suggests.

There was a Being whom my spirit oftMet on its visioned wanderings far aloft.A seraph of Heaven, too gentle to be human, Veiling beneath that radiant form of woman....

Better than glory, or honors, or fame, (Though I am striving for those to-day) To know that some heart will cherish my name, And think of me kindly, with blessings, alway.

Street and park trees provide tremendous benefits to cities.

It's amazing that people still feel, 'Oh my gosh, it's a black guy.' We've been here for a long time; let's get used to it. Let's get used to other cultures.

If we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.

There are no 'perfect liars' in the world; there are only 'perfect believers' who believe in even the most obvious lies!

I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch's poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb.

A Scout smiles and whistles under all circumstances.

It's always great when you get a lot of people pushing themselves to do better, be better, invent better, better serve, better lead customers in new directions.