Abdul El-Sayed: ‘America Needs Us to Bring All That We Have and All That We Can Contribute’

RUSH EXCERPT:
EL-SAYED: “Don’t leave your faith at the door Don’t apologize for who you are or how you pray Instead, bring your whole self to this And I want to speak directly to the parents out here today. How often is it that your kids tells you that I feel like I got a gift in this one area and we say, you know that? I don’t quite know. We steer them into safer paths. If your child tells you you know I think I’ve got it in me to be that next great historian I’ve got it in me to be a journalist I’ve got it in me to run for office I am going to ask you to empower them in that journey. America does not need us to cower backward when small-minded people tell us that we are not part of this place America needs us to bring all that we have and all that we can contribute to the work of making America that great place it can yet be We’ve got our work cut out for us The haters aren’t going to stop hating They’re not going to stop pushing back But we have a better argument Our holy book teaches us that when the ignorant call to you you say peace Be who you are."