Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza "Condi" Riceis an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush. Rice was the first female African-American Secretary of State, as well as the second African American secretary of state, and the second female secretary of state. Rice was President Bush's National Security Advisor during his first term, making her the first woman to serve in that...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth14 November 1954
CityBirmingham, MI
CountryUnited States of America
Every life is capable of greatness.
Education is of no value and talent is worthless - unless you have an unwavering aim. Never find yourself without a compass.
You know, I've never believed, in anything, that you had to have role models who looked like you to do something. If I'd been waiting for a black, female, soviet specialist role model, I'd be still waiting.
There's no greater challenge and there is no greater honor than to be in public service.
I'm very glad my mother didn't let me quit piano lessons at age 10. She said I wasn't old enough or good enough to make that decision, and she was right. I remember at the time I was shocked. I did not like that my mother said those things to me. But when I got a chance to play with Yo-Yo Ma or more recently with Aretha Franklin, I thought, I'm really glad she said what she did.
Well, there are many things, whenever you look back, that you would've done differently. We're all human. We do our best at the time. I really wish that we had passed a comprehensive immigration bill because that would've really helped our country. We came close, but we couldn't.
Differences can be a strength.
Self esteem comes from achievements. Not from lax standards and false praise.
Our work has only begun. In our time we have an historic opportunity to shape a global balance of power that favors freedom and that will therefore deepen and extend the peace. And I use the word power broadly, because even more important than military and indeed economic power is the power of ideas, the power of compassion, and the power of hope.
In America, with education and hard work, it really does not matter where you came from; it matters only where you are going.
The essence of America - that which really unites us - is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion - it is an idea - and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.
[In] the United States, we've always been held together by the belief that it doesn't matter where you came from. It matters where you're going.
Every life is worthy and every life is capable of greatness. We have an obligation to make sure that opportunity for greatness is there.
Race is a constant factor in American life. Yet reacting to every incident,real or imagined, is crippling, tiring, and ultimately counterproductive.