No One Has Written Your Destiny For You

President Barack Obama gave a speech at the NAACP Centennial Convention today. Here are some quotes...

In the 21st century -- when so many jobs will require a bachelor's degree or more...a world-class education is a prerequisite for success.

And yet, more than half a century after Brown v. Board...African American students are lagging behind white classmates in reading and math...Over half of all African American students are dropping out of school.

We've got to say to our children, yes, if you're African American, the odds of growing up amid crime and gangs are higher. Yes, if you live in a poor neighborhood, you will face challenges that somebody in a wealthy suburb does not have to face. But that's not a reason to get bad grades -- that's not a reason to cut class -- that's not a reason to give up on your education and drop out of school. No one has written your destiny for you. Your destiny is in your hands -- you cannot forget that. That's what we have to teach all of our children. No excuses. No excuses.

You get that education, all those hardships will just make you stronger, better able to compete. Yes we can.

It also means pushing our children to set their sights a little bit higher. They might think they've got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers -- doctors and teachers -- not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be the President of the United States of America.

How does a speech like this make you feel?