"All I want is equality for my sister, my brother, my people, and me" - Nina Simone, Mississippi Goddam (Live)
Photo by Linda Davidson - The Washington Post
"It is not enough for just some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism there's another ingredient in the American saga: a belief that we are all connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me even though he is not my own. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription drugs and has to choose between the medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer even if it's not my grandparent. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without the benefit of an attorney or due process that threatens my civil liberties. It is that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper -- that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family. E Plurubus Unum: Out of Many, One." - Barack Obama
This week, as we approach this incredibly unique moment in time, I hope for you a sense of connection to your neighbors, to strangers, to the human experience. May kindness and compassion for all people be of utmost importance even as we all pursue our own dreams. As the President-Elect notes, my life is poorer when others suffer even if I don't know their names. Every day is our opportunity to care more, be more, do more.
Also, if you were looking for me online this week, I was doing most of my thing on the tumblr.