These men sought justice and equality when others only dared to think and dream of them. They experienced public, intellectual, and personal assaults because they dreamed and eloquently articulated those dreams to others.
The cost of their perseverance was not simply that experienced by all who press against the forces of history,(1) but they knew that on their shoulders were the hopes and dreams of millions who had been denied and mocked for having dreamed. And they went on against the storm and took their dream and the dream of millions by intellectual and will force. And having gone up that hill, they signaled to others that the road is hard, by they too and navigate it.
Now we can signal to others that we can navigate it, and
that we are duty-bound to clime it so our children may realize their height
in life. That is the legacy of those great men who have gone before us; our
children must never forget that or become complacent in their obligation!
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1.) They understood the somewhat cryptic words of Jesus: "The kingdom of
heaven suffers violent and the violent take it by force."
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