‘You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear. And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done.’ — Writer Alice Walker, in an open letter to President-elect Barack Obama dated Nov. 5, on TheRoot.com.
‘I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life.’ — Writer Alice Walker, in an open letter to President-elect Barack Obama dated Nov. 5, on TheRoot.com.
‘I would further advise you not to take on other people’s enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise.’ — Writer Alice Walker, in an open letter to President-elect Barack Obama dated Nov. 5, on TheRoot.com.
‘Today the gay citizenry of this state will pick themselves up and dust themselves off and do what we have been doing for years. We will get back into it. We love this state, we love this country and we are not going to leave it.’ — Lesbian singer Melissa Etheridge to MomLogic.com on Nov. 6, after the anti-same-sex-marriage initiative Proposition 8 passed in California.
—Compiled by Andrew Davis