Lawrence O'Donnell Quotes

The first black president will be a politician who is black.

Barack Obama's official nomination as the Democratic Party's standard-bearer was a very poignant moment for millions of Americans. As the first non-white major party nominee, Obama is carrying a big load on his shoulders. He's holding the hopes and dreams of a lot of folks who thought the presidency was only reserved for white men.

My Uncle, of course, would have been pleased to see someone with brown skin holding the office of president.

I have never been more proud of the United States than I am this year. We have elected an African-American president. We have the stellar Michelle Obama setting the standard for American women. I simply cannot say it enough: look how far we've come.

Are things getting better with each generation? Yes. It's quite interesting to be living in these times, for me to witness an African-American being elected president. It's quite extraordinary.

Obama is the first African-American president, and for some people, that means a great deal, and for some people, it means very little.

President Obama became our first African American president, and for me, it is the stuff of which dreams are made.

I feel like we need to make new superheroes, African-American superheroes, that people would accept.

I always believed there would be an African-American president. It was something I'd dreamed about, thought about, but certainly did not believe would happen in my lifetime.

Let me tell you the truth: I'm 45 years old. I never thought that I would live to see a black president.

I feel there should be blacks in every Party.

We understand 'Roots,' and that experience was mind-boggling, and it changed the way society viewed race relations. It was incredibly important. With 'Roots,' I was just as proud as anybody else that people of color were getting their stories told.

Hollywood needs to recognise all shades of African American beauty.

The day will come - and it is not far off - when the legacy of Lincoln will finally be fulfilled at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, when a black man or woman will sit in the Oval Office. When that day comes, the most remarkable thing about it will be how naturally it occurs.

Because of where I come from, I never thought I'd see in my life a black candidate running for President.

I don't think there's enough breadth to the stories told about African-Americans.

The very fact that Barack Obama - an African-American - was twice elected to the presidency will always be the lead line in that hard-to-meld, gold-plated paragraph.

Electing a black president was probably the only coup America could pull off.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid marveled at the electability of Barack Obama because, unlike previous black candidates, Mr. Obama was 'light-skinned' and lacked a 'Negro dialect.'

There is nothing radical about Obama except the fact of who he is.

Nowadays, people always say, how come he's doing such young shows? But they never mention The Mod Squad. I was very proud of that show. It's the first time an African-American guy kissed a white girl.

I think it is so great right now that we are in an age where there's an African American president in office. I think it is important for our generation to really witness that.

The fact that we elected Obama was a sign that the black struggle inherent in the blues and so much of the music I have loved can triumph.

When I first heard that Barack Obama was going to be the first black president, I wanted to do the smallest, biggest tribute in history.

We Blacks have never had a President; we’ve only had preachers.