Marian L. Heard

My mother said it was true. Early reports said that Kennedy had only been injured and had been rushed to the hospital. I felt relief that he was still alive and prayed for his recovery. I remember thinking that here was a man who understood who I was as an African-American woman. Even though Kennedy had been a child of wealth and privilege, I felt he understood -- that he personally cared for those who had been denied the American Dream. I believe that Kennedy started the dialogue about race and poverty in settings where those conversations were not always comfortable, and that this country lost a man with a big heart for helping and a great mind for change. That indeed is a rare combination.

Marian L. Heard is president and chief executive officer of United Way of Massachusetts Bay.