U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn’s eloquent speech was a highlight of the BLET’s Eastern Regional Meeting in Washington D.C. on July 30. The legendary Democrat from South Carolina spoke about his background of fighting for Civil Rights and the need for unity to protect our country’s future.
Rep. Clyburn explained how his parents lived through the Jim Crow era and were not allowed to vote, had to sit in the back of the bus, and endured many other injustices. As a young man, Rep. Clyburn fought to break down those barriers as he fought for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “Think about your children and your grandchildren. I think about my great granddaughter. I want to see her grow up in a country unlike the country that my parents grew up in,” he said.
Rep. Clyburn called for unity to move forward and secure a strong future for all Americans. “We should not be pitted against one another. Our backgrounds and our experiences may be totally different. We have to learn to listen to one another. We can have disagreements, and we can also be unified. We don’t have to be unanimous to have unity. All of my experiences have not been pleasant, but I consider all of them to be a blessing. I have been blessed to live in this great country. All of us have been blessed to be in this great country. It’s not a perfect country. It’ll never be a perfect country. But we must always be in the pursuit of perfection.”
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