Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History (1933-2008)
Summary
The video explores a series of pivotal moments and speeches in American history, emphasizing fear, resilience, military development, civic responsibility, unity, and the perpetual struggle for justice, equality, and innovation.
Highlights
đŁïž The only thing to fear is fear itself, urging resilience in times of adversity.
đ€ The attack on Pearl Harbor underscored the need for unified action against aggression.
𧩠The bombing of Hiroshima highlighted a profound shift in warfare.
đ Citizens are called to contribute to the nation, emphasizing personal responsibility.
đ Martin Luther King’s dream of equality and unity transcending racial divides.
đ Reflections on historical injustices advocate love, wisdom, and compassion for healing.
đ§ The Watergate scandal illustrates the necessity for political integrity and accountability.
Key Insights
đĄ National resilience is rooted in overcoming fear.
đ Unified action is crucial during times of aggression.
đż A permanent armaments industry poses potential threats to democratic values.
đ„ Active citizenship and civic duty are essential for societal progress.
đŻ Martin Luther King’s vision promotes equality and mutual responsibility.
đ Courage and innovation remain foundational despite tragic setbacks like the Challenger disaster.
đ€ America’s role as a global champion of democracy and human rights is longstanding and essential.
Transcript
00:00:00.020 [FDR]: So first of all, let me assert my firm
belief that the only thing we have to
00:00:08.090 fear is fear itself. Nameless, unreasoning,
unjustified terror which paralyzes
00:00:17.210 needed us to convert retreat into advance. Yesterday, December 7, 1941âa
00:00:32.329 date which will live in infamyâthe
United States of America was suddenly
00:00:41.000 and deliberately attacked by naval and
air forces of the Empire of Japan. A
00:00:49.130 short time ago an American airplane
dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and
00:00:55.820 destroyed its usefulness to the enemy.
That bomb has more power than 20,000
00:01:01.969 tons of TNT. The Japanese began the war
from the air at Pearl Harbor,
00:01:08.240 they have been repaid many-fold. And the
end is not yet.
00:01:13.969 With this bomb, we have now added a new
and revolutionary increase in
00:01:20.569 destruction to supplement the growing
power of our armed forces. We have been
00:01:26.359 compelled to create a permanent
armaments industry of vast proportions.
00:01:30.319 In the council’s of government, we must
guard against the acquisition of
00:01:36.709 unwarranted influenceâwhether sought or
unsoughtâby the military-industrial
00:01:41.479 complex.
00:01:43.009 The potential for the disastrous rise of
misplaced power exists and will persist.
00:01:49.490 We must never let the weight of this
combination endanger our liberties or
00:01:54.529 democratic process.
00:01:56.149 I do not believe that any of us would
exchange places with any other people or
00:02:03.770 any other generation. The energy, the
faith, the devotion
00:02:10.038 which we bring to this endeavor will
light our country and all who serve it.
00:02:16.280 And the glow from that fire can truly
light the world. And so my fellow
00:02:24.260 Americans ask not what your country can
do for you, ask what you can do for your
00:02:32.920 country.
00:02:39.880 My fellow citizens of the world,
00:02:44.240 ask not what America will do for you, but
what together we can do for the freedom
00:02:52.010 of man. And there are even a few who say
00:02:59.740 that it’s true that communism is an evil
system, but it permits us to make
00:03:09.100 economic progress.
00:03:11.710 Lasst sie nach Berlin kommenâlet them come to Berlin. [Cheering]
00:03:28.140 All free menâwherever they may liveâare
citizens of Berlin
00:03:34.370 and therefore, as a free man, I take pride
in the words ich bin ein Berliner.
00:03:49.690 I have a dream, that my four little children will one day
live in a nation where they will not be
00:04:01.360 judged by the color about skin, but by
the content in their character. I have
00:04:06.220 a dream today.
00:04:14.440 Let freedom ring and when it happens,
00:04:20.200 we allow freedom ring, when we let it
ring from every village and every hamlet,
00:04:26.480 from every state and every city, we will
be able to speed up that day when all
00:04:33.310 of God’s childrenâblack men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and
00:04:38.530 Catholicsâwill be able to join hands and
sing in the words of the old Negro
00:04:43.180 spiritual, “free at last, free at last,
00:04:46.720 thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
00:04:52.860 There is no constitutional issue here.
00:04:56.540 The command of the Constitution is
plain. There is no moral issue.
00:05:06.180 It is wrong,
00:05:08.700 deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow
Americans the right to vote in this country.
00:05:19.940 To know war
00:05:22.200 is to know that there is still madness
in this world.
00:05:27.680 They are poor to be lifted up, and there
are cities to be built, and there’s a world
00:05:32.110 to be helped.
00:05:33.430 Yet, we do what we must.
00:05:38.100 I’m hopefulâand I will try, best I
can, with everything I’ve gotâto end this
00:05:47.860 battle and to return our sons to their
desires.
00:05:54.200 Yet as long as others will challenge America’s
security, and test the dearness of our
00:06:02.140 beliefs with fire and steel, then we must
stand or see the promise of two centuries tremble.
00:06:10.000 All we say to America is be true to what you
said on paper. But somewhere I read of the
00:06:20.409 freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of
the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of
00:06:28.479 the freedom of press. Somewhere I read
00:06:32.409 that the greatness of America is the right
to protest for rights.
00:06:38.980 [Cheering]
00:06:40.820 And so, just as I say we aren’t going to let any dogs
or water hoses turn us around, we aren’t
00:06:47.780 going let any injunction
00:06:49.940 turn us around.
00:06:53.300 I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve
got some difficult days ahead.
00:06:59.440 but it really doesn’t matter with me now
because I’ve been to the mountaintop.
00:07:05.780 [Cheering]
00:07:07.040 And I don’t mind.
00:07:11.700 Like anybody, I would like to live a long
life. Longevity has its place.
00:07:20.820 But I’m not concerned about that now.
00:07:24.740 I just want to do God’s will. And He’s
allowed me to go up to the mountain. And
00:07:32.850 I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land.
00:07:39.630 I may not get there with you, but I want
you to know tonight, that we as a people
00:07:47.730 will get to the promised land.
00:07:51.760 [Cheering.]
00:07:54.700 So I’m happy tonight, I’m not worried about anything, I’m
not fearing any man.
00:08:01.960 Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
00:08:06.700 [Cheering]
00:08:09.720 I have some very sad news for all of you,
and I think sad news for all of our
00:08:16.500 fellow citizens and people who love
peace all over the world, and that is
00:08:23.100 that Martin Luther King was shot and was
killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.
00:08:27.510 Martin Luther King dedicated his life to
love and to justice between fellow human beings,
00:08:40.080 he died in the cause of that effort. For
those of you who are black and are
00:08:49.800 tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of
00:08:56.700 such an act against all white people,
00:09:01.500 I would only say that I can also feel in
my own heart
00:09:06.440 the same kind of feeling. I had a member
of my family killed,
00:09:12.640 but he was killed by a white man. But we
have to make an effort in the United
00:09:18.089 States. We have to make an effort to
understand, to get beyondâor go beyondâ
00:09:24.930 these rather difficult times.
00:09:27.840 My favorite poemâmy favorite poet was
Aeschylusâhe once wrote
00:09:38.990 ‘Even in our sleep, pain which cannot
forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart
00:09:45.380 until in our own despair, against our
will, comes wisdom through the awful
00:09:54.290 grace of God.’ What we need in the United
States is not division,
00:09:59.660 what we need in the United States is not
hatred,
00:10:03.840 what we need in the United States is not
violence and lawlessness,
00:10:08.280 but is love and wisdom and compassion
toward one another,
00:10:14.260 a feeling of justice toward those who
still suffer within our country,
00:10:20.800 whether they be white, or whether they be black.
00:10:25.460 Throughout the long and difficult period
of Watergate, I have felt it was my
00:10:30.050 duty to persevere. To make every possible
effort to complete the term of office
00:10:35.660 to which you elected me. In the past few
days however, it has become evident to me
00:10:43.480 that I no longer have a strong enough
political base in the Congress to
00:10:48.860 justify continuing that effort.
00:10:51.620 Therefore, I shall resign the presidency
effective at noon tomorrow.
00:10:59.380 Vice President Ford will be sworn in as
president at that hour, in this office.
00:11:07.240 Today is a day for mourning and
remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core
00:11:12.740 over the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger.
00:11:14.750 We know we share this pain with all of
the people of our country.
00:11:18.640 This is truly a national loss. We’ve
never had a tragedy like this
00:11:24.200 and perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it
took for the crew of the shuttle. But they,
00:11:29.480 the Challenger Seven were aware of the
dangers and overcame them
00:11:33.520 and did their jobs brilliantly.
00:11:35.700 We mourn seven heroes. And I want to say
something to the schoolchildren of
00:11:39.920 America who were watching the live
coverage of the shuttle’s take off.
00:11:43.580 I know it’s hard to understand, but
sometimes painful things like this happen
00:11:48.540 It’s all part of the process of
exploration and discovery.
00:11:52.129 It’s all part of taking a chance and
expanding man’s horizons.
00:11:57.319 The future doesn’t belong to the
faint-hearted. It belongs to the brave.
00:12:03.169 The Challenger crew was pulling us into the
future and we’ll continue to follow.
00:12:08.149 There is one sign the Soviets can make
that would be unmistakable, that would
00:12:14.180 advance dramatically the cause of
freedom and peace.
00:12:19.320 General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek
peace, if you seek prosperity for the
00:12:26.780 Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you
seek liberalization, come here to this gate.
00:12:34.640 Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.
00:12:38.800 Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
00:12:49.940 Just two hours ago,
00:12:52.150 allied air forces began an attack on
military targets in Iraq and Kuwait
00:12:56.529 these attacks continue as I speak
00:13:00.610 ground forces are not engaged this
conflict started August second when the
00:13:06.820 dictator of Iraq invaded a small and
helpless neighbor Kuwait a member of the
00:13:13.300 Arab Lee and a member of the United
Nations was crushed its people
00:13:18.400 brutalized five months ago sediment
saying started this cruel war against
00:13:24.010 Kuwait tonight that battle has been
joined this speaker mr. vice president
00:13:31.660 members of Congress honored guests my
fellow Americans we are fortunate to be
00:13:39.760 alive at this moment in history
00:13:46.850 never before has our nation enjoyed at
once so much prosperity and social
00:13:53.630 progress with so little internal crisis
and so few external threats
00:13:59.839 never before have we had such a blessing
opportunity and therefore such a
00:14:06.589 profound obligation to build a more
perfect union of our founders dreams we
00:14:15.589 begin the new century with over 20
million new jobs
00:14:19.339 the fastest economic growth in more than
30 years
00:14:22.819 the lowest unemployment rates in 30
years the lowest poverty rates in 20
00:14:26.690 years
00:14:27.529 the lowest african-american and Hispanic
unemployment rates on record the first
00:14:31.519 back-to-back surpluses and 42 years and
next month America will achieve the
00:14:36.860 longest period of economic growth in our
entire history
00:14:43.370 good evening
00:14:46.459 just moments ago I spoke with George W
Bush and congratulated him on becoming
00:14:51.829 the 43rd President of the United States
and I promised them that I wouldn’t
00:14:56.810 calling back this time
00:14:58.189 now the US Supreme Court has spoken let
there be no doubt while I strongly
00:15:04.550 disagree with the court’s decision I
accept it
00:15:08.509 I accept the finality of this outcome
which will be ratified next monday in
00:15:13.279 the electoral college and tonight for
the sake of our unity of the people and
00:15:18.019 strength of our democracy
00:15:19.790 I offer my concession
00:15:25.320 this nation stands with the good people
of new york and the jersey and
00:15:31.530 connecticut as we mourn the loss of
thousands of vs
00:15:38.280 I can
00:15:46.670 the rest of the world hears you and the
people
00:15:56.150 and the people who knocked these
buildings down will hear all of us
00:16:04.290 yeah
00:16:10.209 yeah
00:16:11.440 yeah
00:16:12.670 and all those watching tonight from
beyond our shores from Parliament sand
00:16:20.770 palaces to those who are huddled around
radios in the forgotten corners of the
00:16:25.240 world are stories are singular but our
destiny is shared and a new dawn of
00:16:31.150 American leadership is at hand
00:16:38.510 to those to those who would tear the
world down
00:16:43.490 we will defeat you
00:16:46.870 to those who seek peace and security we
support you and to all those who have
00:16:53.710 wondered if America’s beacon still burns
as bright tonight we proved once more
00:16:59.170 that the true strength of our nation
comes not from the might of our arms or
00:17:03.310 the scale of our wealth but from the
enduring power of our ideals
00:17:07.270 democracy Liberty opportunity and
unyielding hope
00:17:18.250 yeah
00:17:21.470 that’s the true genius of America that
America can change our union can be
00:17:30.620 perfect
00:17:31.700 what we’ve already achieved gives us
hope for what we can and must achieve
00:17:36.169 tomorrow
00:17:37.039 this election had many firsts and many
stories will be told for generations but
00:17:42.470 one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a
woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta
00:17:47.900 she’s a lot like the millions of others
who stood in line to make their voice
00:17:52.340 heard in this election
00:17:53.780 except for one thing and Nixon Cooper is
a hundred and six years old she was born
00:18:01.520 just a generation passed slavery a time
when there were no cars on the road or
00:18:06.320 planes in the sky when someone like her
could vote for two reasons because she
00:18:11.270 was a woman and because of the color of
her skin and tonight
00:18:16.930 I think about all that she’s seen
throughout her century in America the
00:18:22.300 Harding and the hope the struggle and
the progress
00:18:26.320 the times we were told that we can’t
00:18:29.710 and the people who pressed on with that
American creed
00:18:33.400 yes we can at a time when women’s voices
were silenced and their hopes dismissed
00:18:39.790 she lived to see them stand up and speak
out and reach for the bailout
00:18:43.990 yes we can when there was this fair and
the Dust Bowl and depression across the
00:18:50.050 lamb
00:18:50.890 she saw a nation conquer fear itself
with a new deal
00:18:54.250 new jobs a new sense of common purpose
00:18:57.820 yes we can when the bombs fell on our
Harbor and tyranny threaten the world
00:19:05.260 she was there to witness a generation
rise to greatness and a democracy was
00:19:09.640 saved
00:19:10.510 yes we can she was there for the buses
in Montgomery the hoses in birmingham a
00:19:17.770 bridge in Selma and a preacher from
Atlanta who told the people that we
00:19:22.540 shall overcome
00:19:23.950 yes we can
00:19:25.950 a man touch down on the moon
00:19:30.210 a wall came down in Berlin a world was
connected by our own science and
00:19:36.029 imagination and this year in this
election
00:19:40.470 she touched her finger to a screen and
cast her vote because after a hundred
00:19:46.590 and six years in America through the
best of times and the darkest of hours
00:19:51.840 she knows how America can change yes we
can
00:19:57.350 America we have come so far we have seen
so much but there’s so much more to do
00:20:04.760 so tonight let us ask ourselves if our
children should live to see the next
00:20:11.809 century
00:20:12.770 if my daughter should be so lucky to
live as long as an mix and Cooper what
00:20:19.130 change will they see what progress
00:20:22.549 what we have made this is our chance to
answer that call
00:20:28.010 this is our moment this is our time to
put our people back to work and open
00:20:34.400 doors of opportunity for our kids to
restore prosperity and promote the cause
00:20:38.630 of peace to reclaim the American Dream
and reaffirm that fundamental truth that
00:20:44.480 out of many we are one that while we
breathe we hope and where we are met
00:20:49.880 with cynicism and doubt and those who
tell us that we can’t we will respond
00:20:55.760 with that timeless creed that sums up
the spirit of a people
00:21:00.049 yes we can thank you God bless you and
may God bless the United States of
00:21:05.840 America
00:21:07.860 yeah
Clear and Punctuated Text
[FDR]: So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed us to convert retreat into advance.
Yesterday, December 7, 1941âa date which will live in infamyâthe United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
A short time ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy.
That bomb has more power than 20,000 tons of TNT.
The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor, they have been repaid many-fold.
And the end is not yet.
With this bomb, we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces.
We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions.
In the council’s of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influenceâwhether sought or unsoughtâby the military-industrial complex.
The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process.
I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation.
The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it.
And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
And there are even a few who say that it’s true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress.
Lasst sie nach Berlin kommenâlet them come to Berlin.
[Cheering]
All free menâwherever they may liveâare citizens of Berlin and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ich bin ein Berliner.
I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color about skin, but by the content in their character.
I have a dream today.
Let freedom ring and when it happens, we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s childrenâblack men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholicsâwill be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
There is no constitutional issue here.
The command of the Constitution is plain.
There is no moral issue.
It is wrong, deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country.
To know war is to know that there is still madness in this world.
They are poor to be lifted up, and there are cities to be built, and there’s a world to be helped.
Yet, we do what we must.
I’m hopefulâand I will try, best I can, with everything I’ve gotâto end this battle and to return our sons to their desires.
Yet as long as others will challenge America’s security, and test the dearness of our beliefs with fire and steel, then we must stand or see the promise of two centuries tremble.
All we say to America is be true to what you said on paper.
But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly.
Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech.
Somewhere I read of the freedom of press.
Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights.
[Cheering]
And so, just as I say we aren’t going to let any dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren’t going let any injunction turn us around.
I don’t know what will happen now.
We’ve got some difficult days ahead.
But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop.
[Cheering]
And I don’t mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.
Longevity has its place.
But I’m not concerned about that now.
I just want to do God’s will.
And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.
And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land.
I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the promised land.
[Cheering.]
So I’m happy tonight, I’m not worried about anything, I’m not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
[Cheering]
I have some very sad news for all of you, and I think sad news for all of our fellow citizens and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.
Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings, he died in the cause of that effort.
For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling.
I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man.
But we have to make an effort in the United States.
We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyondâor go beyondâthese rather difficult times.
My favorite poemâmy favorite poet was Aeschylusâhe once wrote ‘Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.’
What we need in the United States is not division,
What we need in the United States is not hatred,
What we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness,
But is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another,
A feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white, or whether they be black.
Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere.
To make every possible effort to complete the term of office to which you elected me.
In the past few days however, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to justify continuing that effort.
Therefore, I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.
Vice President Ford will be sworn in as president at that hour, in this office.
Today is a day for mourning and remembering.
Nancy and I are pained to the core over the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger.
We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country.
This is truly a national loss.
We’ve never had a tragedy like this and perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle.
But they, the Challenger Seven were aware of the dangers and overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly.
We mourn seven heroes.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s take off.
I know it’s hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen.
It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery.
It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons.
The future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted.
It belongs to the brave.
The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future and we’ll continue to follow.
There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable,
That would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.
General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe,
If you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
Just two hours ago, allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait.
These attacks continue as I speak, ground forces are not engaged.
This conflict started August second when the dictator of Iraq invaded a small and helpless neighbor, Kuwait.
A member of the Arab League and a member of the United Nations was crushed, its people brutalized.
Five months ago, Saddam Hussein started this cruel war against Kuwait.
Tonight that battle has been joined.
This speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, honored guests, my fellow Americans,
We are fortunate to be alive at this moment in history.
Never before has our nation enjoyed at once so much prosperity and social progress, with so little internal crisis and so few external threats.
Never before have we had such a blessing opportunity and therefore such a profound obligation to build a more perfect union of our founders’ dreams.
We begin the new century with over 20 million new jobs.
The fastest economic growth in more than 30 years.
The lowest unemployment rates in 30 years.
The lowest poverty rates in 20 years.
The lowest African-American and Hispanic unemployment rates on record.
The first back-to-back surpluses in 42 years.
And next month America will achieve the longest period of economic growth in our entire history.
Good evening.
Just moments ago I spoke with George W Bush and congratulated him on becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
And I promised him that I wouldn’t call him back this time.
Now the US Supreme Court has spoken.
Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court’s decision, I accept it.
I accept the finality of this outcome, which will be ratified next Monday in the electoral college.
And tonight, for the sake of our unity of the people and strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.
This nation stands with the good people of New York and the Jersey and Connecticut as we mourn the loss of thousands of lives.
I can assure the rest of the world hears you.
And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from Parliament sand palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world,
Our stories are singular but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those who would tear the world down, we will defeat you.
To those who seek peace and security, we support you.
And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright, tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals.
Democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
Yeah, that’s the true genius of America.
That America can change, our union can be perfect.
What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts, and many stories will be told for generations.
But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta.
She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election,
Except for one thing: An Nixon Cooper is a hundred and six years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery, a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky,
When someone like her could vote for two reasons: because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in Americaâ
The hardship and the hope, the struggle and the progress,
The times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: yes, we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed,
She lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the bailout: yes, we can.
When there was despair and the Dust Bowl and depression across the land,
She saw a nation conquer fear itself with a new deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose: yes, we can.
When the bombs fell on our Harbor and tyranny threatened the world,
She was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved: yes, we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma,
And a preacher from Atlanta who told the people that we shall overcome: yes, we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin,
A world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote,
Because after a hundred and six years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours,
She knows how America can change: yes, we can.
America, we have come so far, we have seen so much, but there’s so much more to do.
So tonight let us ask ourselves, if our children should live to see the next century,
If my daughter should be so lucky to live as long as an Nixon Cooper,
What change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call.
This is our moment, this is our time to put our people back to work,
And open doors of opportunity for our kids to restore prosperity,
And promote the cause of peace, to reclaim the American Dream,
And reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one.
That while we breathe, we hope,
And where we are met with cynicism and doubt,
And those who tell us that we can’t,
We will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: yes, we can.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.
Yeah.