Mark Emery Udall

“ America is a country of many faces and we take pride in our nation's diversity. America is known as the "great melting pot" because it has welcomed many people from all over the world to share in living the American dream. Unfortunately, reality is often different than the dream for many Americans.
The reality has often been ugly. Segregation was a blight on our nation that deprived millions of people equality in this country and was often used as a tool to oppress people and keep them from living up to their full potential. The system kept many people in the shackles of poverty. ”

“ There is no reason why our nation, which prides itself in being the home of the free, should continue to treat people unequally. It is time to make the dream fully real. We must challenge ourselves to reach across divides and embrace and celebrate our nation's diversity. ”

“ We cannot let Martin Luther King's work go unfinished; we have not reached the mountaintop yet. Even today, ethnic minorities, women, gays and lesbians, the disabled and others are often treated as if they are second class citizens. ”