Barack Obama

it a special honor to be here in clarendon counti __PUNCT__

becaus clarendon counti is the place that show me and show america that when ordinari_peopl come togeth __PUNCT__ thei can do extraordinari thing __PUNCT__

that the clarendon counti i know __PUNCT__

i know how sixti_year year_ago __PUNCT__ the naacp jame hinton dare to ask why white children could ride buse to school but black_children had to walk __PUNCT__

i know how reverend j.a __PUNCT__

delain __PUNCT__ a preacher and teacher in summerton __PUNCT__ heard that call and join with levi pearson __PUNCT__ a father who wa sick and tire of see hi children walk nine mile to school __PUNCT__ and with harri and eliza brigg and more than a dozen other black parent to challeng unequ educ __PUNCT__

i know that becaus of that challeng __PUNCT__ harri brigg lost hi job at the local servic station __PUNCT__ eliza brigg lost her at a local hotel __PUNCT__ and reverend delain home wa burn to the ground while the fire_depart stood by and watch __PUNCT__

it would have been easi for them to stai_home __PUNCT__

to heed the voic of caution and conveni that said __PUNCT__ wait __PUNCT__ the time isn't right __PUNCT__ or __PUNCT__ the countri just isn't readi __PUNCT__

it would have been easi for them to give in to the fear that no doubt kept them awak some night __PUNCT__

but i know that becaus thei were will to overcom their fear and reach for a larger dream __PUNCT__ the suprem_court overturn __PUNCT__ separ but equal __PUNCT__ and congress_pass the civil right act and the vote right act __PUNCT__

and i know that i stand on their shoulder __PUNCT__ that their courag and sacrific six decad_ago make it possibl for me to run todai for presid of the unit_state __PUNCT__

so i know clarendon counti __PUNCT__

the clarendon counti that show a nation how to look up rather than down __PUNCT__

the clarendon counti that made a claim on the american_dream __PUNCT__

the clarendon counti that chang the cours of histori __PUNCT__

but i also know anoth clarendon counti __PUNCT__

i know school in the corridor of shame __PUNCT__

i know j.v __PUNCT__ martin junior_high high_school in dillon wa built more than a centuri_ago __PUNCT__ and for year had shatter window __PUNCT__ leak ceil __PUNCT__ and broken bathroom __PUNCT__

i know south_carolina ha the worst high_school dropout_rate in america __PUNCT__

i know that all across thi nation __PUNCT__ on out of everi four children go to school just like j __PUNCT__ v __PUNCT__ martin __PUNCT__ and take awai the same messag that we don't care enough about their educ to do better by them __PUNCT__

i know that america_todai is still blind to the poverti in our midst __PUNCT__ and that we still toler jena justic for some and scooter libbi justic for other __PUNCT__

i know that black parent in clarendon ar still have to go to court to give their children an equal educ __PUNCT__ fifti_year after brown v __PUNCT__ board of educ __PUNCT__

there is anoth side of clarendon counti __PUNCT__ anoth side of america __PUNCT__ still wait for what harri and eliza brigg hope for __PUNCT__

the hope that our children destini aren't written befor thei ar born __PUNCT__

the hope that on dai the world as it is and the world as it should be might be on and the same __PUNCT__

that is why i stand befor you todai as a candid for presid of the unit_state of america __PUNCT__

i am run becaus i refus to accept that the wai it is __PUNCT__ is the wai it ha to be __PUNCT__

i refus to accept it when i hear adult sai thing like __PUNCT__ these kid can't learn __PUNCT__ or __PUNCT__ these kid come from tough background __PUNCT__ or __PUNCT__ these kid ar too far behind __PUNCT__

we need to start treat __PUNCT__ these kid __PUNCT__ like __PUNCT__ our kid __PUNCT__

i am run becaus i want a sens of urgenc about our kid in washington __PUNCT__

when i in the white_hous __PUNCT__ we reform no child_left behind so we don't leav the monei behind __PUNCT__

we recruit an armi of new teacher __PUNCT__ and make sure thei come teach here in man __PUNCT__ becaus the most import_factor in a child educ is the person stand at the head of the classroom __PUNCT__

we invest in earli_childhood childhood_educ becaus for everi dollar we put there __PUNCT__ we get seven dollar back in reduc dropout_rate __PUNCT__ reduc delinqu __PUNCT__ and reduc prison rate __PUNCT__ and more young_peopl can go to colleg and get good_job __PUNCT__

and we rebuild our broken school __PUNCT__

we know why thi matter __PUNCT__

it not just that a good educ is essenti to help the children of todai compet more effect as the worker of tomorrow __PUNCT__

it that the promis of a good educ make it possibl for everi child to transcend the barrier of race and class and background and achiev their god __PUNCT__ given potenti __PUNCT__

that why harri and eliza brigg put their name on that lawsuit __PUNCT__

that why so mani other risk so much to give their children an equal educ __PUNCT__

that my stori __PUNCT__

that what the american stori is suppos to be about __PUNCT__

that caus is worth fight for __PUNCT__

a qualiti_educ is worth fight for __PUNCT__

univers_health_care is worth fight for __PUNCT__

econom_opportun is worth fight for __PUNCT__

equal is still worth fight for __PUNCT__

and when i presid __PUNCT__ we go to have a govern that help us win these fight __PUNCT__

not becaus it up to me alon __PUNCT__

not becaus i have a corner on all the best idea __PUNCT__

but becaus i understand that we need more than a new campaign or candid __PUNCT__ we need a movement __PUNCT__

we need a presid readi to partner with you and not too import to do so __PUNCT__ readi to move the american_peopl to common caus on these issu __PUNCT__ and will to ask you to do your part __PUNCT__ not just as voter __PUNCT__ but as citizen __PUNCT__

becaus the truth is __PUNCT__ no matter how mani govern_program we launch or how mani tax_dollar we spend __PUNCT__ we can still fall_short if each of us is unwil to do our own part __PUNCT__

if we unwil to be respons parent and turn off the tv __PUNCT__ put awai the video_game __PUNCT__ read to our child __PUNCT__ and attend those parent/teach confer __PUNCT__

we can still fall_short if we don't heal the hole in the heart of all those young_men stand on street_corner in everi citi in thi countri without a sens of ani destini other than end up in jail or dead __PUNCT__

and heal that hole is go to take more than a chang in polici __PUNCT__ it go to take a chang of heart __PUNCT__

we go to have to reclaim in our own live the belief that i am my brother keeper __PUNCT__ i am my sister keeper __PUNCT__

it the belief that led folk in clarendon not to turn their back on harri brigg and hi fellow foot_soldier __PUNCT__ but to offer them monei when their credit wa cut at the local store __PUNCT__ and a place to stai when thei were kick off the land __PUNCT__

it the belief that led a white judg name j __PUNCT__ wait ware to stand by their side even after a cross wa burn on hi lawn and shot were fire into hi live_room __PUNCT__

and it the belief that led me into public_servic more than two decad_ago __PUNCT__

as some of you mai know __PUNCT__ after colleg __PUNCT__ i walk awai from a career on wall_street __PUNCT__ and went to work with a group of church as a commun_organ on the south_side of chicago so i could fight for folk who had lost their job when the local steel plant_close __PUNCT__

and ever sinc __PUNCT__ i been fight to put the american_dream within reach for everi american __PUNCT__

that why i went to work as a civil right lawyer __PUNCT__ and as a state_senat and as a u. __PUNCT__ senat __PUNCT__

that why i expand health_care to __NUM___children and their parent in illinoi __PUNCT__

that why i led the fight to reform a death_penalti system that had sentenc __NUM__ innoc men to death __PUNCT__

that why i led the fight to reform racial_profil __PUNCT__

and that why you can trust that i fight for you as presid __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ i heard that some folk aren't sure america is readi for an african __PUNCT__ american_presid __PUNCT__ so let me be clear __PUNCT__ i never would have begun thi campaign if i weren't confid i could win __PUNCT__

but you see __PUNCT__ i am not ask anyon to take a chanc on me __PUNCT__

i am ask you to take a chanc on your own aspir __PUNCT__

just imagin what we could do as partner in an obama_administr __PUNCT__

imagin a presid who wa rais like i wa by a singl_mom who had to work and go to school and rais her kid and accept food_stamp for a while __PUNCT__

imagin a presid who could go into holli court apart here in man or scott branch high_school in summerton __PUNCT__ and give the young_men and women there someon to look up to __PUNCT__

imagin a presid who fought each dai to narrow the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be __PUNCT__

narrow that gap is not go to be easi __PUNCT__

but real chang never is __PUNCT__

i can still rememb on of the earli_dai when i wa just start out as a commun_organ in chicago __PUNCT__

we had set up a meet to figur out how to rebuild our neighborhood __PUNCT__ but no on show up __PUNCT__

and our volunt felt so defeat __PUNCT__ thei want to quit __PUNCT__

and i wa tire too __PUNCT__

but at that moment __PUNCT__ i look outsid and saw some young_boi plai in a vacant_lot across the street __PUNCT__ toss stone at a board __PUNCT__ up apart build __PUNCT__

and i turn to the volunt __PUNCT__ and i ask them __PUNCT__ befor you quit __PUNCT__ i want you to answer on question __PUNCT__

what gonna happen to those boi __PUNCT__ i thought __PUNCT__ if we cannot put asid our doubt and our cynic __PUNCT__ if we cannot see that we have a stake in those children __PUNCT__ if we don't realiz that the fight for their futur is the fight for our own __PUNCT__ who will __PUNCT__ on by on __PUNCT__ the volunt decid to stai __PUNCT__

and block by block __PUNCT__ we began to turn those neighborhood around __PUNCT__

so todai __PUNCT__ sixti_year after jame hinton issu hi challeng __PUNCT__ i want to issu a challeng of my own __PUNCT__

if you tire of the polit of fear and divis __PUNCT__ if you tire of a govern that stand idli by while our school go underfund __PUNCT__ our children go unemploi __PUNCT__ and our commun ar neglect __PUNCT__ if you feel as i do that if we don't fight for that next gener of children __PUNCT__ who will __PUNCT__ then i ask you to join me __PUNCT__

and if you can do that __PUNCT__ if you can overcom your doubt __PUNCT__ cast awai your fear __PUNCT__ and believ onc again that real chang is possibl in thi countri __PUNCT__ then i truli believ we can bring about the world that harri and eliza brigg dream of for their children __PUNCT__