CIVIL RIGHTS:

Forty years ago, with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, our nation took a great step toward realizing its founding ideal: that all of us should have the opportunity to realize our God-given potential.

But as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told us, the Civil Rights Act was "only the beginning of a new day...not the end of a journey."

Our journey is not over when our schools are under-funded and school reforms are incomplete, when 47 million Americans don't have health insurance, when people of color are significantly more likely to suffer and die from diseases like cancer and AIDS and diabetes, when extremist judges are turning back the clock on our 40-year march toward equality. And our journey is not over when our national leadership in Washington is sowing new seeds of division, not unity.

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06/19/08 Kerry Statement on Juneteenth 03/28/08 KERRY HONORED WITH 100% RATING BY CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES 03/06/08 KERRY DEMANDS REPORT ON IMMIGRATION RAID PROCEDURES 09/17/07 Kerry Welcomes White House Shift for Attorney General 06/27/07 Kerry, Bipartisan Senators Work to Expand Internet, Digital Access to Minority Schools and Colleges

We've removed the barriers of hate that kept us from drinking at the same water fountain or attending the same school. I believe in continuing on our journey to remove the barriers that keep us from drinking at the same fountain of opportunity and also remembering those that fought before us. That is why I introduced legislation to have a statue built in the Capitol rotunda of Rosa Parks � a woman who bravely stood up against injustice for us all. I am proud that this legislation became law and that her likeness will be immortalized in the Capitol among other national leaders and heroes.

Expanding opportunities in jobs, education, and health care benefits all Americans. I support increasing resources and reforms for schools so they can meet high expectations and extend the ladder of opportunity to all American children. I believe we must do everything we can to enforce our nation's civil rights laws - which is why I have co-sponsored the Civil Rights Act of 2008 which seeks to expand upon the original bill from 1964. We must fight for affirmative action to reduce discrimination and for equal justice for all victims of hate violence. And, I support responsible, comprehensive reform of our immigration laws that honors our tradition as a nation of immigrants and makes America stronger.