"The way I figured it, I was a black man in a white man's world. I had to make my own way."

"The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time."

"I was a fighter, and I never gave up."

"I'd be willing to trade all my fame and the home run record for one more chance to step up to bat in the major leagues."

"We are a nation of minorities. We are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of people who have come from all over the world."