JESSE JACKSON

For me, Barack Obama's election was a milestone of the most extraordinary kind. On the day he was elected I felt such hope in my heart. I thought we were seeing the beginning of a new era of equal opportunity across race and gender such as America had never known before.

If the states had to vote on slavery, we would have lost the vote.

The American people on the ground need a clearer, stronger, Lyndon B. Johnson-type voice from their president. Obama has that voice. It has to be used.

When the doors of opportunity swing open, we must make sure that we are not too drunk or too indifferent to walk through.

People internalize, from the jail to student loan debt, to credit card debt, to unemployment to the whole collective. It manifests itself in many ways, in people's home lives, domestic stuff.

In many ways, history is marked as 'before' and 'after' Rosa Parks. She sat down in order that we all might stand up, and the walls of segregation came down.

I think reconciliation is Obama's goal - but the fight with the Republicans is like a fight with pit bulls, they never let go. Even worse, now the Republicans feel they can keep pushing and he will keep giving. They have not seen a stiff resistance on his part.

If a black doctor discovers a cure for cancer, ain't no hospital going to lock him out.

When you create more small businesses, you create small entrepreneurship. Out of that comes self-determination and employment.

What is the American dream? The American dream is one big tent. One big tent. And on that big tent you have four basic promises: equal protection under the law, equal opportunity, equal access, and fair share.

Any attempt to dilute my support for Sen. Obama will not succeed.

If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.

Watch the walls come down, whether it's in the South or on Wall Street. When the walls come down, what do we find? More markets, more talent, more capital and growth. Which means that the race and sex discrimination stunt economic growth. It's not good for capitalism. It's not good for America's growth. And it's not morally right.

Ronald Reagan was older than I was when he ran for president.

The laws are stacked for the wealthy.

We must all learn a good lesson - how to live together. That is the new challenge of the new world... learning to co-exist and not co-annihilate.

I had to steal to survive.

Most blacks will argue that they excel because of hard work, because of intellect, determination, sweat, blood, tears and risk.

Urban America has been redlined. Government has not offered tax incentives for investment, as it has in a dozen foreign markets. Banks have redlined it. Industries have moved out, they've redlined it. Clearly, to break up the redlining process, there must be incentives to green-line with hedges against risk.

Fighting disparities is very significant.

I came to the conclusion that in order to end racial barriers, I needed to run for the office of the president and put forth an agenda of social justice and world peace. In addition, I concluded that someone needed to run and challenge the liberal orthodoxy.

If you don't feel apologetic for slavery, if you don't feel apologetic for colonialism, if you feel proud of it then say that.

I was extended secret service protection during my presidential run in 1984, when I received the most death threats ever made toward a candidate.

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.

Black and Jewish leaders have been a coalition of conscience.