My mother came here to New York. She and my grandmother were domestics, cooking, cleaning for other people. David Dinkins More Quotes by David Dinkins More Quotes From David Dinkins I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law. David Dinkins smart witty funny Race relations can be an appropriate issue... but only if you want to craft solutions, and not catalogue complaints. If we use the issue appropriately, we can transform it from the cancer of our society into the cure. David Dinkins cancer issues race So it's a mistake for someone to think that they bailed New York out. They did assist us, for which we are grateful, but it's a mistake to say we bailed New York out by giving them a grant of money to help those poor people who throw it away on welfare. David Dinkins grateful new-york mistake I love kids and I maintain that they are our future, that we adults owe them the ability to achieve their potential and that we don't own this planet. We hold it in trust for them. David Dinkins achieve adults kids Well, I'm not sure, but of one thing I am certain: History judges one differently than contemporary observers, and so I think that as time passes, I hope that not me personally so much, but our administration will be seen for some of the things that we accomplished. David Dinkins administration judging thinking You can't twist Al Sharpton's arm. David Dinkins twists arms hands You can be anything you want to be. You can be a street sweeper, if you want. Just be the best blasted street sweeper you can be . . . And, you know you can be mayor. David Dinkins mayors being-the-best want We borrowed money, it helped us with bonds and what not, and the Federal Government backed it, but it was a guarantee, it was not a grant. And we not only paid it off, but we paid it off ahead of time. David Dinkins government ties guarantees Some of us claim that New York City is the capital of the country, indeed the capital of the world. Now, that may be a bit much for those who don't come from New York, but clearly we are an important city for reasons of our cultural advantages. David Dinkins cities new-york country The people really are what make New York City great. David Dinkins cities new-york people Well, I think I am a very, very lucky person. I'm very fortunate. David Dinkins wells lucky thinking Well, I was about six or seven, and my mother and father separated. David Dinkins six mother father The art and culture that is New York, communications, finance, all these things help make up New York. The rest of the country should be happy that we are what we are. David Dinkins new-york country art . . .little has changed in our New York neighborhoods except the faces, the names, and the languages spoken. The same decent values of hard work and accomplishment and service to city and nation still exist. David Dinkins hard-work cities new-york Today, certain people file for bankruptcy, businesses and individuals, and it no longer has the stigma it once had. Now it's almost considered wise, a way to regroup and come back again. David Dinkins wise today people In 1975 I was among a group of blacks who formed the Black Americans in Support of Israel Committee. David Dinkins support black israel I love children, and most of my involvement now has to do with children or youth programs. David Dinkins program youth children And, as a matter of fact, I am the chairman of the Amadou Diallo Foundation. David Dinkins foundation matter facts And I tell people I'm in charge of children, children I haven't even met yet. David Dinkins mets children people As a matter of fact, even when I finished law school, I had no notion of public service then. David Dinkins matter law school
