I sit here as the first African-American attorney general, serving the first African-American President of the United States. And that has to show that we have made a great deal of progress. But there's still more we have to travel along this road so we get to the place that is consistent with our founding ideals.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the progress made in racial equality while recognizing the ongoing journey toward true justice.
Eric Holder highlights the significant advancements in racial representation, using his role as the first African-American attorney general under the first African-American president as a symbol of progress. However, he emphasizes that despite these achievements, there is still work to be done to fully realize the ideals of equality and justice as outlined in the founding principles of the United States.
In practice
During a speech about civil rights at a school graduation.
While he was in the service, in the South and in Oklahoma, he was refused service at a couple of places where he was in uniform, and was told that African Americans, blacks, Negros, were not served. And in spite of that, I've never known a man who loved this country more than my father did.
Guantanamo is a chief recruiting tool for al-Qaida. It has put a wedge between the United States and at least some of its allies.
Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards
In a lot of ways, civil rights division is the conscience of the Justice Department. You can almost measure what kind of Justice Department you have by what kind of civil rights division that you have.
One of the things I learned is that you've got to deal with the underlying social problems if you want to have an impact on crime - that it's not a coincidence that you see the greatest amount of violent crime where you see the greatest amount of social dysfunction.
Those who peacefully gather to express sympathy for the family of Michael Brown must have their rights respected at all times. And journalists must not be harassed or prevented from covering a story that needs to be told.
Be transparent as wind, be as possible and relentless and dangerous, be what moves things forward without needing to leave a mark, be part of this collection of molecules that begins somewhere unknown and can't help but keep rising. Rising.Rising. Rising.
We have a planetary emergency. We have to find a way to create, in the generation of those alive today, a sense of generational mission.
I've said very clearly, including in a State of the Union address, that I'm against 'don't ask, don't tell' and that we're going to end this policy.
In this new world economy, national boundaries are increasingly becoming obsolete.
All of us are driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do - that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.
To change the world, we must first change the way the babies are being born.
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