Many in this room in the black community likely faced similar obstacles, personally, or had friends and family members who did. In various degrees of severity, though, all of us have faced—either here in America, or in the countries of our ancestry—discrimination, persecution or unspeakable violence. The Holocaust. No Irish or Italians need apply. The conflation of Islam and radical Islamic terrorism. Let us tell each other our stories. Let us take our inspiration from those Union soldiers who never “lost Heart,” saw common cause, and locked arms. Let us continue writing our American story togethe
