Education Reform: The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time

He's right about that. Unfortunately, the administration's preoccupation with health care reform, and the war in Afghanistan, are crowding out other issues like education.

in reference to:

"Today is a special day of reflection and renewal as we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. While it is discouraging to recall the hate, bigotry and injustice that are inextricably tied to the civil rights movement, it also makes me hopeful. It gives me a sense of optimism because the civil rights leaders were able to take a sledgehammer to how we viewed and accepted the world around us. They shattered norms that had been around for generations. They imagined something and then peacefully forced it to happen. They made us believe in change. We Americans know that change can happen. We have come a long way in the United States, the land of opportunity, the land of plenty, the land people risk their lives to get to. But even here, far too many people are left behind. Historically, quality public education was one of the things Americans could always be most proud of. Even in the beginning, Thomas Jefferson said, "If the condition of man is to be progressively ameliorated, as we fondly hope and believe, education is to be the chief instrument in effecting it.""
- John Legend: Education Reform: The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time (view on Google Sidewiki)