The paradox of race in America is that our common destiny is more pronounced and imperiled precisely when our divisions are deeper. (p4) - Cornel West

Anytime two human beings find genuine pleasure, joy, and love, the stars smile and the universe is enriched.

America is a grand example of the Biblical challenge: what does it profit an empire to gain the whole world and lose its soul?

In these downbeat times, we need as much hope and courage as we do vision and analysis; we must accent the best of each other even as we point out the vicious effects of our racial divide and pernicious consequences of our maldistribution of wealth and power. We simply cannot enter the twenty-first century at each other's throats, even as we acknowledge the weighty forces of racism, patriarchy, economic inequality, homophobia, and ecological abuse on our necks. We are at a crucial crossroad in the history of this nation — and we either hang together by combating these forces that divide and degrade us or we hang separately. Do we have the intelligence, humor, imagination, courage, tolerance, love, respect, and will to meet the challenge? Time will tell. None of us alone can save the nation or world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so.