It can be said of few individuals in our time that they helped transform the face of the American Nation. A. Philip Randolph was one of those giants. His leadership in the trade union and civil rights movements has left an indelible mark on almost every area of our national life. A. Philip Randolph helped sweep away longstanding barriers of discrimination and segregation in industry and labor unions, in our schools and armed services, in politics and government.
For each new generation of civil rights leaders, he was an inspiration and an example. His dignity and integrity, his eloquence, his devotion to nonviolence, and his unshakable commitment to justice all helped shape the ideals and spirit of the civil rights movement.
His voice and inspiration will long be missed, but America will always be a more just, more humane, and more decent nation because A. Philip Randolph lived among us.
Jimmy Carter, Statement on the Death of Civil Rights Leader A. Philip Randolph Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/249394