My father came to America when he was eleven years old, and though there was tremendous prejudice against Italians he fell in love with this country. To him this land had a soul, and so many promises, that he bought into the idea of this democracy with his whole heart. He believed America had a soul, and you could be anything that you wanted to be ,and he passed that loving legacy onto his children. However, there were countless persons who came to this land long before my father, and America had no soul because it literally robbed them of their freedom.This legacy was confronted by the courage of those who were beaten, sat at segregated lunch counters and  bled for the right to vote.There has been progress for sure, but the soul of America and all its’ promise will only be fulfilled when we face openly the question of race, and embrace our brothers and sisters who have been denied the dream that my father so loved.