Reflections on race in America.

"Certainly this is a country that was founded on slavery, genocide, land stealing, and policy marked by racism. But at the same time there are struggles to find our better angels, there are the struggles against slavery, for emancipation, civil rights, suffrage, and liberalization of immigration policy. So people should be focusing on our better angels for the future. In the end, there are a lot of things to celebrate."--Manuel Pastor, Professor, University of Southern California

"If the next generation is going to think differently about race, then we are going to have to act differently about race now. Our faith challenges us to take on and fix broken, unjust systems, like schools and health care, where the opportunity you receive is greatly shaped by the color of your skin. [Changing] the conversation on race in America is going to require that we get serious about dismantling the prison pipeline, working to ensure citizenship for all residents, and creating education and employment options for everyone--especially those on the margins." --Reverend Alvin Herring, Executive Director, PICO Louisiana

"What I think communities of color are looking for ... is progress on key items on their agenda that will help close the gaps that still exist in our society. Among these are issues like increased job creation, making health care more accessible, addressing the foreclosure crisis, and enacting comprehensive immigration reform"--Janet Murguia, President, National Council of La Raza

"The Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery. One hundred years later, Dr. King requested a second Emancipation Proclamation to eviscerate Jim Crow. This year, on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, we need to end the 'new Jim Crow'--mass incarceration and the war on drugs. The original act of emancipation split our nation among partisan and geographical lines. With this new manifestation of slavery, there is hope for a burgeoning consensus that transcends old lines of division in favor of a newfound moral rectitude and common sense."--Ben Jealous, President, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

"President Obama was on the right path when he set out to create the most open government in the history of the U.S. The agenda [now] must include community-scale energy solutions, public transportation equity that connects people to opportunities, broadband and spectrum infrastructure investment that drive community benefits and at times promote community-owned and community-driven networks, and policies that will create a more equitable food system, from seed to community." --Maya Wiley, Founder, Center for Social Inclusion

"We know that Americans like to imagine that they can reinvent themselves every generation. But the legacy of the past is all around us, both in the social structures that we have inherited and in the attitudes and assumptions that we carry with us every day. I think that many people--perhaps...