Quotes

Reagan on Free Enterprise, America, and Democracy

“You prove that hard work and determination overcome all obstacles and that despair is unnecessary.”

October 4, 1988

“For you prove to those who are less fortunate, who need examples of success if they're to hope for better, that, yes, there is hope and; yes, there's a chance; and, yes, this is a nation of bounties. You prove that hard work and determination overcome all obstacles and that despair is unnecessary. What is necessary is self-esteem and self-confidence. You can teach them the ability to see that the future is contained within the present, that work itself is its own reward, and that with work comes dignity and, eventually, the fulfillment of your dreams.”

— Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards