Everybody needs to show respect to each others' ways and the cultural life that you get on this planet. Don't get caught up on 'I'm brown, black, white, red, blue, whatever.' You gotta ask, what were you called before 1492? All these names we're using now are just an illusion made to keep us fighting each other.
Interpretation
Respecting diverse cultures can help unite humanity beyond racial divides.
In this quote, Afrika Bambaataa emphasizes the importance of recognizing and respecting the various cultural identities that exist globally. He argues that racial labels and divisions created after 1492 are superficial and distract us from our shared humanity, urging people to look beyond these constructed identities to foster understanding and peace among different cultures.
In practice
This quote could be used in a multicultural event to promote unity among diverse groups.
I'd like to see people pay attention to the science of hip hop. The knowledge part, the political side of what hip hop could do, or where hip hop is gonna go. I always say it's gonna become universal as we become a galactic union.
How you act, walk, look and talk is all part of Hip Hop culture. And the music is colorless. Hip Hop music is made from Black, brown, yellow, red and white.
I wear anything of culture, from the Earth or beyond. The whole planet is my shop.
A lot of times, when people say hip-hop, they don't know what they're talking about. They just think of the rappers. When you talk about hip-hop, you're talking about the whole culture and movement. You have to take the whole culture for what it is.
We also want to try and slow down all this foolishness that's going on between the East and West. We gotta understand that Hip Hop is now universal. Hip Hop is not East coast or West coast.
The sin of fallen man is this: Man seeks the benefits of God while at the same time fleeing from God Himself.
One of the things I have noticed about my novels is that they all concern people who can't quite bring themselves to tell the truth about their own lives... I've come to realise that this interest in damaged, untellable stories comes from my parents.
Our surest protection against assault from abroad has been not all our guards, gates and guns, or even our two oceans, but our essential goodness as a people. Our richest asset has been not our material wealth but our values.
Nothing happens by chance, my friend... No such thing as luck. A meaning behind every little thing, and such a meaning behind this. Part for you, part for me, may not see it all real clear right now, but we will, before long.
Even his griefs are a joy long after to one that remembers all that he wrought and endured.
I saw that philosophy had no power to make my life more bearable. Thus I lost my belief in philosophy.
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