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

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.

The American polity is infected with a serious imbalance of power between elites and masses, a power which is the principal threat to our democracy.

The first task in teaching is to bring to consciousness what the students already believe by virtue of their personal experiences about themselves and society.

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.