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Freedom is a hard-bought thing and millions are in chains, but they strain toward the new day drawing near.
Paul Robeson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Freedom requires struggle and effort, especially for those who are oppressed.

This quote reflects the value and difficulty of achieving freedom, emphasizing that while many people remain oppressed, their desire for a better future drives them. It highlights the notion that freedom is not easily obtained; it requires resilience and hard work as individuals and communities strive for liberation and a brighter tomorrow.

Themes

FreedomStruggleOppressionHopeResilience

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech advocating for social justice, one might quote this to inspire action.

More from Paul Robeson

I've learned that my people are not the only ones oppressed... I have sung my songs all over the world and everywhere found that some common bond makes the people of all lands take to Negro songs as their own.
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We ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
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My mother was born in your state, Mr. Walter, and my mother was a Quaker, and my ancestors in the time of Washington baked bread for George Washington's troops when they crossed the Delaware, and my own father was a slave.
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The intolerance of the few, or the risk of it, carries the day against the wider humanity of the many.
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I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom
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And at home in the United States we found continued and increased persecution, first of leaders of the Communist Party, and then of all honest anti-fascists.
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