Selma teaches us, as well, that action requires that we shed our cynicism. For when it comes to the pursuit of justice, we can afford neither complacency nor despair. Bloody Sunday Speech (2015)
We are boisterous and diverse and full of energy, perpetually young in spirit. Bloody Sunday Speech (2015)
If Selma taught us anything, it’s that our work is never done. The American experiment in self-government gives work and purpose to each generation. Bloody Sunday Speech (2015)
We respect the past, but we don’t pine for the past. We don’t fear the future; we grab for it. Bloody Sunday Speech (2015)
With effort, we can roll back poverty and the roadblocks to opportunity. Americans don’t accept a free ride for anybody, nor do we believe in equality of outcomes. But we do expect equal opportunity. Bloody Sunday Speech (2015)
Because Selma shows us that America is not the project of any one person. Because the single-most powerful word in our democracy is the word “We.” “We The People.” “We Shall Overcome.” “Yes We Can.” That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Bloody Sunday Speech (2015)