I think history repeats itself. There's a constant conversation between the oppressed and the oppressor. No matter what your field is, whether it's gender equality, the Time's Up movement, or diversity casting, it's always going to be a back-and-forth battle.
Interpretation
History shows a recurring dynamic where the oppressed challenge their oppressors, indicating ongoing struggles in various societal issues.
Michael B. Jordan's quote reflects on the cyclical nature of social justice movements, emphasizing that the struggle for equality is an ongoing dialogue between those in power and those seeking liberation. It highlights that regardless of the specific context—be it gender equality, workplace representation, or diversity in media—there will always be a tension and a need for active participation in the fight against oppression.
In practice
This quote can be used to inspire activism at a social justice rally.
You start at a young age, going on auditions, and you think you did a good job and expect to get that role, and you don't, and it's a letdown, a disappointment. So you tell yourself to just do the work and disconnect, because you have no control over the outcome.
I came to the realization that I can also satisfy my creative side by giving somebody else a chance. I don't have to be in front of the camera for every project.
I want to leave something behind. A blueprint. A work ethic. Something that my great-grandkids and their kids and their kids can see: This is where it started. Lineage. Intergenerational wealth. Things that are here forever. All that.
In so far as the government lands can be disposed of, I am in favor of cutting up the wild lands into parcels so that every poor man may have a home.
The most positive action we can take about the past is to change our perception of it.
There will always be men struggling to change, and there will always be those who are controlled by the past.
We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.
Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
It's jarring to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a world where many rightfully believe that things have become worse. And I've suspected that this optimism blinds many in Silicon Valley to the real struggles in other parts of the country. So I decided to move home to Ohio.
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