Do something good for someone every day.
Jesse White
Work hard, be honest, help people, never give up, love your fellow man and woman, give back to society, and don't ever discriminate.
During the holiday season, we've asked everyone within the sound of my voice that if you're going to celebrate, celebrate in a responsible manner.
I don't just work with these kids to make them good tumblers or good dancers. I'm working with them to make them good citizens - to become taxpayers, not tax-eaters. I teach them to say please and thank you. I show them how to use a knife and fork and how to fold a napkin.
We just believe when you have parental involvement, we are going to get a better bang for the buck, so to speak. And we also encourage parents to speak with their young people about the importance of safe driving. And also remind them, too, they cannot be distracted.
Not one has ever left my team to go join a gang.
My top goal as your Secretary of State is to save lives by reducing fatal traffic crashes. When I established the Teen Driver Safety Task Force, the goal was to improve Illinois' graduated driver licensing law and, even more importantly, to save lives.
I was a public aid recipient for about nine years as a kid, and this time of year was always tough sledding, so I just committed myself to doing something good for someone at Thanksgiving, and especially Christmas.
George Dunne stuck his neck out for me in the '70s, when it wasn't a very popular thing to do.
I used to jump out of airplanes. I was a member of the 101st Airborne Division. When parachuting, you never look down at the ground. You feel for it with your legs. Your knees are your shock absorbers - you cannot tighten them. Same as skiing.
I first met Dr. King in 1954 when I was a student at Alabama State University and a member of a local church down there. He was in town to organize a rally against public transportation. Rosa Parks had been arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man, which was illegal back then.
You cannot just expect a promotion to come from the sky.
My parents made a great sacrifice to make sure that we had something wonderful at Christmas, and through the help of the state and others, we were able to have a good meal.
You don't jump out of an airplane and stop halfway. It's all the way.
Some people collect coins. Some people collect rocks. Some people collect stamps. I colllect kids and hope I can do something for them.
I have a center at 412 West Chicago Avenue. It's called the Jesse White Community Center and Fieldhouse. It's a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility, game room, weight room, computer lab.
Dr. King used to meet me outside the basketball stadium and give me $20 bills to get by.
I was not a good student; I was an average student. In order to play basketball and baseball, I had to go to school every day. And so I was pretty good in terms of attending school.
There are some basic rules if they want to join the tumbling team. No drinking, no smoking, no swearing, no drugs and, most of all, no belonging to a gang. I read the riot act to them the minute they want to join. I tell them there's only one gang they can belong to if they want to be with me and that's Jesse White's gang.
The most influential people in my life are deceased. These include my parents, George Dunne, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my minister in college.
The youngsters who live in housing projects are some of the most talented and nicest kids you'll find anywhere. But they're right on the cutting edge - they could go either way. You have to work with them, guide them, and mold them like a piece of clay.
I believe that if a person has four DUIs, I think they've had enough bites at the apple, and I think that when you go beyond that, I think that's a little bit too much.
I never traced my roots, man. I only know that I'm a brother with a big heart - and that somebody brought my roots over here by way of boat.
I have to play the hand that was dealt me.
These kids are looking for direction, for identification. Kids join gangs because they need a father figure or they want to be part of a group.
Naming a bridge after Dr. King was the right thing to do.
Taxation is probably one of the biggest problems this state is facing, especially in Cook County. I think Cook County is one of the counties a lot of people don't want to live in anymore.
Just saying 'I want this and I want that' doesn't do it. My boys share and share alike in the income that the organization brings in, so that teaches them the lesson: If you work, you can earn some money. That's how life is; it's the American way.
Often when we reach great heights in life, we forget who brought us there. Well, I have not.
I'm a disciplinarian. And I've always been disciplined. I like to be on time. If I have a job to do, I'm going to see it from its beginning to its conclusion. No excuses, no alibis. That's how I run my life. It's called self-tough love.
Things were tough. Segregation was all around - in the schools, the buses, the restaurants, the theaters. But Dr. King worked hard for black people to have a fair share.
This is a great country, and it's a melting pot. People shouldn't judge other people by the color of their skin, their church, or the area where they reside.
It is every parent's nightmare when a child is in trouble with the law. As a parent, you can do your best to guide young people, but as adults, they make their own choices and live with the consequences of those decisions.
We try to instill a sense of fair play, a sense of honesty.
You cannot force a child to use their limbs if they're in pain.
The art of compromise should be always alive and well. You represent the people of your district, the people of your county, your city, your township. Make sure that you do it for the people rather than your party or issue.
My administration is committed to continue using taxpayer dollars wisely.
I speak very quickly, even for an elected public servant. So if I fast-talk you, I'm not trying to mislead you.
I believe in commitment to duty. That's how I've lived my life.
I'm the longest-serving secretary of state in Illinois, but I also want to go down in history as one of the best they've ever had. I will work every day toward that.
You cannot imagine how many people called, how many letters, how many emails. Every place I go, people ask me, 'Please, don't quit.'
We just want to make sure individuals who drive on our roads are not impaired and they are a responsible person behind a motor vehicle.
I just thank the people who took part in our graduated drivers task force, who came with their thoughts and ideas as to how we can best keep our roads safe, and it has paid off.
I believe that the Democratic Party is a party of the people, and we have to make sure that we have good representation so that those services that the people richly need and deserve will go forward.
When you come through this world, and you become successful, you have to give back.
I just believe that when we work together, wonderful things are going to happen.
I want to encourage all parents to read to their children because it helps them to become better educated, better informed.
Instead of going to spring training, I went to basic training.
I find it reprehensible that anyone would seek to denigrate the legacy of Dr. King in any way.
After being away at college and in the Army, I never considered living anywhere else. I loved Chicago then, and I love Chicago now.
