The actual sight of a first-class house that a Negro has built is ten times more potent than pages of discussion about a house that he ought to build, or perhaps could build.
Booker T. WashingtonRead
One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Oppressing others ultimately harms the oppressor as well.
This quote by Booker T. Washington highlights the interconnectedness of human actions and their moral implications. It suggests that when one person tries to suppress or dominate another, they not only harm the victim but also degrade their own moral standing, trapping themselves in a state of negativity and immorality.
Themes
OppressionMoralityInterconnectednessSelf-HarmNegativity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social justice, one might use this quote to highlight the impact of oppression.
More from Booker T. Washington
All quotes βLeaders have devoted themselves to politics, little knowing, it seems _x000D_ that political independence disappears without economic independence _x000D_ that economic independence is the foundation of political independence.
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You go to school, you study about the Germans and the French, but not about your own race. I hope the time will come when you study black history too.
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Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.
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I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.
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If I have done anything in life worth attention, I feel sure that I inherited the disposition from my mother.
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