AtthebeginningoftheWorldSeriesof1947IexperiencedacompletelynewemotionwhentheNationalAnthemwasplayed.ThistimeIthoughtitisbeingplayedformeasmuchasforanyoneelse.ThisisorganizedmajorleaguebaseballandIamstandingherewithalltheothers;andeverythingthattakesplaceincludesme.

AboutayearlaterIwenttoAtlantaGeorgiatoplayinanexhibitiongame.OnthefieldforthefirsttimeinAtlantatherewereNegroesandwhites.OtherNegroesbesidesme.AndIthought:WhatIhavealwaysbelievedhascometobe.

AndwhatisitthatIhavealwaysbelieved?Firstthatimperfectionsarehuman.Butthatwhereverhumanbeingsweregivenroomtobreatheandtimetothinkthoseimperfectionswoulddisappearnomatterhowslowly.Idonotbelievethatwehavefoundorevenapproachedperfection.Thatisnotnecessarilyintheschemeofhumanevents.Handicapsstumblingblocksprejudices—alloftheseareimperfect.Yettheyhavetobedealtwithbecausetheyareintheschemeofhumanevents.

WhateverobstaclesIfoundmademefightalltheharder.ButitwouldhavebeenimpossibleformetofightatallexceptthatIwassustainedbythepersonalanddeep-rootedbeliefthatmyfighthadachance.Ithadachancebecauseittookplaceinafreesociety.NotoncewasIforcedtofaceandfightanimmovableobject.Notoncewasthesituationsocast-ironrigidthatIhadnochanceatall.Freemindsandhumanheartswereatworkallaroundme;andsotherewastheprobabilityofimprovement.IlookatmychildrennowandknowthatImuststillpreparethemtomeetobstaclesandprejudices.

ButIcantellthemtoothattheywillneverfacesomeoftheseprejudicesbecauseotherpeoplehavegonebeforethem.AndtomyselfIcansaythatbecauseprogressisunalterablemanyoftoday'sdogmas(教条)willhavevanishedbythetimetheygrowintoadults.Icansaytomychildren:Thereisachanceforyou.Noguaranteebutachance.Andthischancehascometobebecausethereisnothingstaticwithfreepeople.ThereisnoMiddleAgeslogicsostrongthatitcanstopthehumantidefromflowingforward.Idonotbelievethateverypersonineverywalkoflifecansucceedinspiteofanyhandicap.Thatwouldbeperfection.ButIdobelieve—andwitheveryfiberinme—thatwhatIwasabletoattaincametobebecauseweputbehindus(noma