The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

On June 6, 1966, Robert F. Kennedy arrived at the University of Capetown in South Africa to deliver a bold challenge to the country's apartheid regime. His message was clear: racial inequality must end, and it is the task of young people across the world to lead the way.

Kennedy said that "only earthbound man still clings to the dark and poisoning superstition that…his common humanity is enclosed in the tight circle of those who share his town and views and the color of his skin. It is your job, the task of the young people of this world, to strip the last remnants of that ancient, cruel belief from the civilization of man."

It was Kennedy's example that inspired me to become involved in the civil rights movement. During my time at LCCR, I have had the privilege of being able to do my part to answer the call that he made more than four decades ago. From supporting Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination to working on LCCREF's census campaign, I have supported the work of an organization committed to upholding the rights of all who live in this country.

My time here has further strengthened my conviction that all people, regardless of background, deserve an equal opportunity to fulfill their aspirations, as Kennedy believed so strongly when he spoke out against discrimination in South Africa and elsewhere.