The people really are what make New York City great.

- David Dinkins

We have not always agreed, but I have said repeatedly and publicly many times that Al Sharpton has never counseled violence, but he gets blamed for a whole lot of that.

- David Dinkins

We borrowed money, it helped us with bonds and what not, and the Federal Government backed it, but it was a guarantee, it was not a grant. And we not only paid it off, but we paid it off ahead of time.

- David Dinkins

Well, I was about six or seven, and my mother and father separated.

- David Dinkins

This is about these particular candidates in this particular year. That's what motivates me.

- David Dinkins

There is no point in me worrying about what Bloomberg or Badillo will do.

- David Dinkins

In 1975 I was among a group of blacks who formed the Black Americans in Support of Israel Committee.

- David Dinkins

I finished law school in '56, but I was working two jobs.

- David Dinkins

As a matter of fact, even when I finished law school, I had no notion of public service then.

- David Dinkins

And, as a matter of fact, I am the chairman of the Amadou Diallo Foundation.

- David Dinkins

And I tell people I'm in charge of children, children I haven't even met yet.

- David Dinkins

I'm confident that, were I mayor, I would do some things differently than he has. But I think there's a world of difference between him and his immediate predecessor.

- David Dinkins

I went downtown as a lawyer and then I worked in a liquor store at night, as I had done all through law school. And so when I got to the point where I could give up the night job, I joined the political club.

- David Dinkins

You can't twist Al Sharpton's arm.

- David Dinkins

Well, I think I am a very, very lucky person. I'm very fortunate.

- David Dinkins

My mother came here to New York. She and my grandmother were domestics, cooking, cleaning for other people.

- David Dinkins

I went to Israel when the missiles were falling there.

- David Dinkins

But the courts have dismissed the lawsuits against me and Lee Brown.

- David Dinkins

But I make the observation that no one of us would do things exactly alike.

- David Dinkins

I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.

- David Dinkins