My parents made a great sacrifice to make sure that we had something wonderful at Christmas, and through the help of the state and others, we were able to have a good meal.

I was a public aid recipient for about nine years as a kid, and this time of year was always tough sledding, so I just committed myself to doing something good for someone at Thanksgiving, and especially Christmas.

Work hard, be honest, help people, never give up, love your fellow man and woman, give back to society, and don't ever discriminate.

My top goal as your Secretary of State is to save lives by reducing fatal traffic crashes. When I established the Teen Driver Safety Task Force, the goal was to improve Illinois' graduated driver licensing law and, even more importantly, to save lives.

I remember when we were called 'colored,' and Dr. King would always tell young people not to get upset at what people called you. He said if it is not the name your mother gave you, then smile, keep walking, and that's exactly what we did.