Nicole

“It is important to ground ourselves in the reason for the lunch counter sit-ins and freedom rides,” she said, referring to the civil rights movement. Freedom and equality are not just about soothing emotions and restoring dignity, “but about what it means to be a full citizen with all its benefits” and privileges. Discrimination, I understood her to be saying, hurts feelings and breaks hearts. But it’s about so much more: it blocks real chances to be our best selves and live our fullest lives in a country that promises just that.”
― Howard Schultz, From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America

“Until I am welcomed everywhere as an equal simply because I am human, I remain a warrior on a battlefield that I must not leave. I continue to be a warrior who does not cry but who instead takes action. If one person is denied equality, we are all denied equality.”
― Melba Pattillo Beals, Warriors Don't Cry

“One way to describe the American Dream is as a promise—a promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Inherent to that pursuit, I believe, is having access to opportunities like education and good jobs, healthcare and ownership, support from family and friends, and generosity from strangers. Opportunity shows up as luck, but is also embedded into our social, governmental, and corporate constructs.”
― Howard Schultz, From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America

“Even when the battle is long and the path is steep, a true warrior does not give up. If each one of us does not step forward to claim our rights, we are doomed to an eternal wait in hopes those who would usurp them will become benevolent. The Bible says, WATCH, FIGHT, and PRAY.” * * * Although”
― Melba Pattillo Beals, Warriors Don't Cry