“In many ways, history is marked as ‘before’ and ‘after’ Rosa Parks. She sat down in order that we all might stand up, and the walls of segregation came down.”

He has stood for the inclusion of all segments of our society under the law; women, gender equality, workers’ rights to organize, and civil rights for the least able.

When we’re unemployed, we’re called lazy; when the whites are unemployed it’s called a depression.

It is time for us to turn to each other, not on each other.

We must not measure greatness from the mansion down, but from the manger up.

I cast my bread on the waters long ago. Now it’s time for you to send it back to me – toasted and buttered on both sides.

We’ve removed the ceiling above our dreams. There are no more impossible dreams.

Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change.

Deliberation and debate is the way you stir the soul of our democracy.

I know they are all environmentalists. I heard a lot of my speeches recycled.

George Bush has met more foreign heads of state than I have. But a substantial number of them were dead.

People like to say don’t abort, adopt. But I’m saying don’t strip, scholarship.

The poor and the working poor have been locked out of the nation’s consciousness, even by the media and by many ministers. Katrina washed away the debris that was covering the locked out and left behind.

He should be removed from the airwaves as soon as possible. Bill Bennett owes America an apology. He certainly owes African-Americans an apology.

We want the youth to stand still knowing that their parents and their ministers would cross the line for them.

Keep hope alive!

You may not be responsible for being down, but you must be responsible for getting up.

The difference breeds hatred.

You can’t pray away global warming, and that’s the difference between religious people and sane people.

There’s a difference between being in love and being in love with the idea of love.

The difference between the child and the man lies chiefly in the unlimited confidence and buoyancy of youth.

The difference between a movie star and a movie actor is this – a movie star will say, ‘How can I change the script to suit me?’ and a movie actor will say. ‘How can I change me to suit the script?’

The difference between the three Abrahamic religions: Christianity – mumbling to the ceiling, Judaism – mumbling to the wall, Islam – mumbling to the floor.

The IRS sent back my tax return saying I owed $800. I said If you’ll notice, I sent a paper clip with my return. Given what you’ve been paying for things lately, that should more than make up the difference.

Obviously, local elections are where you can make the most difference, but it’s great when everyone starts talking about what they believe in.