I emphasize self-esteem, self-confidence, and dignity, not as an ideal, but as a real test of community organization. Without leadership development, community organizations do not have staying power.

I saw as a teacher how, if you take that spark of learning that those children have, and you ignite it, you can take a child from any background to a lifetime of creativity and accomplishment.

Never separate the life you live from the words you speak.

Politics isn't about big money or power games it's about the improvement of people's lives.

The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power.

Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and the world. Politics is about doing well for the people.

I don't think politics has anything to do with left, right, or center. It has to do with trying to do right by people.

A politics that is not sensitive to the concerns and circumstances of people's lives, a politics that does not speak to and include people, is an intellectually arrogant politics that deserves to fail.

Politics isn't about big money or power games it's about the improvement of people's lives.

Our politics are our deepest form of expression: they mirror our past experiences and reflect our dreams and aspirations for the future.