I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.
Langston HughesRead
Very early in life, it seemed to me that there was a relationship between the problems of the Negro people in America and the Jewish people in Russia, and that the Jewish people's problems were worse than ours.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the shared struggles of marginalized communities, drawing a connection between the experiences of Black Americans and Jewish people in Russia.
Langston Hughes highlights the interconnectedness of the struggles faced by different oppressed groups, specifically addressing the historical injustices experienced by both Black Americans and Jewish people in Russia. He suggests that while both groups face significant hardships, the plight of the Jewish people may have been more severe, prompting a need for empathy and understanding across communities suffering from discrimination and oppression.
Themes
StruggleOppressionCommunitySolidarityEmpathy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing social justice, this quote could be used to emphasize the importance of unity among oppressed communities.
More from Langston Hughes
All quotes →My writing has been largely concerned with the depicting of Negro life in America.
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I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.
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An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.
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The calm, Cool face of the river, Asked me for a kiss
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The only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you'll finish it.
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