Edward Brooke

You can't say the Negro left the Republican Party; the Negro feels he was evicted from the Republican Party.

I've never tried to run away from my race. I was born a black man. You know that in your bones as soon as you are able to understand this country... My approach to life about race is, I don't see the difference between black people and white people.

I wanted to go to Washington to bring people together who had never been together before. I wanted to break down the barriers between races.

I always believed there would be an African-American president. It was something I'd dreamed about, thought about, but certainly did not believe would happen in my lifetime.

I had made my reputation on integrity.