Howard Thurman Quotes
Commitment means that it is possible for a man to yield the nerve center of his consent to a purpose or cause, a movement or an ideal, which may be more important to him than whether he lives or dies.
Thurman, Howard. Disciplines of the Spirit. Harper & Row, 1963, p. 24.
He was criticized by the right wing extremists of the Repuplican Party for serving a Democratic President (Obama) as Ambassador to China. He was the most qualified person for the job as he was an experienced politician, spoke Chinese fluently and was very knowledgeable about Chinese culture and history. The President had asked him rather than many people of his own party. Huntsman’s quotation is probably the most patriotic and eloquent statement of national service ever made.
Howard Washington Thurman was an American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements and organizations of the twentieth century. Thurman's theology of radical nonviolence influenced and shaped a generation of civil rights activists, and he was a key mentor to leaders within the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King Jr.
