People I HAD to Thank at the DNC

There were so many 'movers and shakers' I spotted at the Democratic National Convention a couple of weeks ago! Journalists, Politicians, Celebrities, and COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS (the hard working people who keep our country going.)

Among this distinguished group there were several people I HAD to personally say thank-you to. People who have served our country well.

The next five blogs will recognize these people I thanked at the DNC. They include: Representative John Lewis, CNN Correspondent Roland Martin, Latina Activist Dolores Huerta, Actress Angela Bassett, and Community Organizers 'Sweet Alice' Harris and Temo Fiqueroa.

Let's start with Congressman John Lewis of Georgia.

1. John Lewis.....the Congressman from Georgia paid the price for our American rights on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Considered one of the 'big six' of the Civil Rights movement, Lewis has been a staunch advocate of voting and civil rights. Called one of the most courageous leaders in the movement, it was only fitting that Lewis addressed the thousands gathered at Invesco. Here is an excerpt of his comments:

"As a participant in the Civil Rights Movement, I can tell you, the road to victory will not be easy. Some of us were beaten, arrested, taken to jail; and some of us were even killed trying to register and vote.

But with the nomination of Sen. Barack Obama tonight, the man who will lead the Democratic Party in its march toward the White House, we are making a major downpayment on the fulfillment of that dream. We prove that a dream still burns in the hearts of every American. That this dream was too right, too necessary, too noble to ever die.

But this night is not an ending. It is not even a beginning. It is the continuation of a struggle that began centuries ago—in Lexington and Concord, in Gettysburg and Appomattox, in Farmville, Virginia and Topeka, Kansas, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, Selma, Alabama. and

Democracy is not a state. It is an act. It is a series of actions we must take to build what Martin Luther King Jr. called the Beloved Community, a society based on simple justice that values the dignity and the worth of every human being.

We’ve come a long way, but we still have a distance to go. We’ve come a long way, but we must march again. On November 4th we must march in every state, in every city, in every village, in every hamlet, we must march to the ballot box.

We must march like we have never marched before to elect the next President of the United States, Sen. Barack Obama. For those of us who stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, or who in the years that followed may have lost hope, this moment is a testament to the power and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. It is a testament to the ability of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. It is a testament to the promise of America.

Tonight we have put together a tribute to the man and his message. Let us take a moment to reflect on the legacy and the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. on this 45th anniversary of the historic March on Washington."

I saw Lewis twice during convention week and I prefaced each time with a heartfelt THANK YOU!"



Click Here for Video of Speech