Having spent so much of my adult life in the often harsh and uncompromising atmosphere of southern elective politics, which for so long has been driven by the inflammatory issue of race, I have found myself searching for ways to measure how far we have come in diminishing the myriad conflicts that have arisen out of that issue. I am encouraged by the progress which I have personally observed among members of both races in my state and my region of the country. We cannot forget, though, as we seek to embrace our common humanity, that we must also face the reality that there are forces in this increasingly complex world that threaten to continue to divide us. That means that now that the stakes are higher and the issues are more complicated, it is more vital than ever that we have the informed and responsible participation of more of us in the molding and shaping of public under-standing and public opinion in a way that will result in a truly united country. This participation must be motivated not by a quest for private advantage or personal profit but by a genuine recognition that only through a shared vision can we achieve our greatest success. We must build on that vision. We must build on the success that has enhanced the quality of life for most of us. All of us must be willing to speak out against bigotry and intolerance and injustice. We must seek to find worth in every person. That is how we pay our dues for the privilege of living in a free society. That is how we can pass on to the next generation a better country than the one we inherited. That is how we open the doors to the fulfillment of the American dream. -William F. Winter From Opening Doors in a Closed Society The Fetzer Institute's project on Deepening the American Dream began in 1999 to explore the relationship between the inner life of spirit and the outer life of service. Through commissioned essays and in dialogue with such writers as Huston Smith, Jacob Needleman, Parker Palmer, Robert Bellah, Howard Zinn, Vincent Harding and others, the project is beginning to sow the seeds of a national conversation. With the publication of these essays, the thinking and writing coming from these gatherings is being offered in a series of publications sponsored by The Fetzer Institute in partnership with Jossey-Bass. In an effort to surface the psychological and spiritual roots at the heart of the critical issues that face the world today, we are extending this inquiry by creating a parallel series focused on Exploring a Global Dream. The first two essays in this series were written by Abdul Aziz Said and Ocean Robbins. The essays and individual volumes and anthologies published in both series will explore and describe the many ways, as individuals and communities and nations, that we can illuminate and inhabit the essential qualities of the global citizen who seeks to live with the authenticity and grace demanded by our times.