Quote

Address at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Banquet, New York

May 18, 1966

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New York, NY

I believe the solution to the problems of our urban ghettoes must begin with a determination and a program. We must first be determined to stop dealing with the forgotten and the disposed—the unemployed, the dropouts, those on welfare and those who work for less than the minimum wage—as liabilities, as numbers we care for out of our charity. Instead we must deal with them as human beings and fellow citizens; as a valuable resource, as people who can take an equal and a major part in the building of a better society.

New year, new us. Same mission.

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is rebranding to honor the legacy of our founder and hero, Mrs. Ethel Skakel Kennedy. From now on, we will proudly be known as the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center

While our name is changing, our mission and work remain the same. We will continue to fight injustice, advance human rights, and hold governments accountable around the world in 2026 and beyond.