After the death of 46-year-old African American George Floyd while in custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday, May 25, protests started across the United States and around the globe in solidarity against racism and police brutality. As more people are protesting peaceful demonstrations, the more our society needs to change and aspire for peace and equality. Below are 25 well-known quotes that ring true more than ever in the fight against racism.
Such inspiring quotes are crucial in the fight against racism, now more than ever before.
Courage is contagious
“History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.” –Michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States.
Hold on to dreams
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” —Langston Hughes, American poet
Light and dark, love and hate
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” –Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister, and activist.
Change
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” –Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
Peace and freedom
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” –Malcolm X, human rights activist, and American Muslim minister.
Living together
“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
Freedom of others
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” —Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, political leader, philanthropist.
A nation’s strength
“No matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might otherwise.” –Marian Anderson, singer.
Challenge and controversy
“The ultimate measure of a person is not where one stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Be human together
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” –Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize award-winner, South African Anglican cleric.
Diminishing fear
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” –Rosa Parks, activist.
Work at peace
“For it isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” –Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady of the United States
Committed citizens
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist.
Freedom is won
“Freedom is never given; it is won.” –A. Philip Randolph, civil rights leader
Walk together
“If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you recognize that your liberation and mine are bound up together, we can walk together.” –Lila Watson, activist, academic, and visual artist.
A loving person
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.” –Ken Keyes, Jr., author.
Complex human beings
“One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.” –Franklin Thomas, philanthropist, and civil rights activist
The right time
“The time is always right to do what is right.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
Protest openly everything
“If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves and allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have our acceptance and concurrence. We should, therefore, protest openly everything… that smacks of discrimination or slander.” —Mary McLeod Bethune, political activist, organizer, and educator.
Creative alternatives
“Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict—alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence.” —Dorothy Thompson, journalist
Take risks
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” —Muhammad Ali, activist, philanthropist, and professional boxer
The need for change
“The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind.” —Maya Angelou, poet, civil rights activist.
Shake hands
“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” —Indira Gandhi, former prime minister of India.
Dreams
“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.” –Eugene Ionesco, Romanian-French playwright
Justice
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
