WATCH: President Obama Receive Profile In Courage Award From JFK Library

(Full speech below)

Former President Barack Obama received the John F. Kennedy Foundation’s annual “Profile in Courage Award,” in Boston Sunday honoring his accomplishments during two terms in office in the face of unprecedented opposition.

During his acceptance speech, Obama said “I’ve been thinking on this notion on political courage this weekend, in particular about some of the men and women who were elected to Congress the year I was elected to the White House.”

“Many of theme were new to Washington, had their entire careers ahead of them and in that very first term they had to take tough vote after tough vote because we were in crisis.”

Here is President Obama’s full speech:

Here are some key quotes from the speech:

On health care: “It is my fervent hope, and the fervent hope of millions, that regardless of party, such courage is still possible. That today’s members of Congress are willing to look at the facts and speak the truth, even when it bucks party dogmas. I hope that current members of Congress recognize it takes little courage to aid those who are already powerful, already comfortable, already influential—but it takes great courage to champion the vulnerable and the sick and the infirm.”

On JFK: “My life, in many ways, would not have been possible without the vision that JFK etched into the character and hearts of America.”

On fear: “Any fool can be fearless. Courage, true courage, derives from that sense of who we are. What are our best selves.”

On MLK’s “Arc of Justice”: “It bends because we bend it. Because we put our hand on that arc and we move it in the direction of justice.”

“President Kennedy called on a new generation of Americans to give their talents to the service of the country,” said Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s daughter.

“With exceptional dignity and courage, President Obama has carried that torch into our own time, providing young people of all backgrounds with an example they can emulate,” Kennedy said in a statement