Particularly in the South, efforts continue to be made to deny blacks access to the polls, even where blacks constitute the majority of the voters.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the ongoing struggle against voter suppression faced by black individuals in the South.
Coretta Scott King's quote emphasizes the persistent challenges that black communities encounter in exercising their fundamental right to vote, illustrating that even in areas where they form the majority, systemic barriers and discrimination still threaten their access to the electoral process. This statement calls attention to the need for continual vigilance and advocacy in the fight for civil rights and equitable representation.
In practice
During a rally for voting rights, this quote could be used to remind attendees of the history of voter suppression.
I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy. The civil rights movement thrives on unity and inclusion, not division and exclusion. My husband's struggle parallels that of the gay rights movement.
...We have an historic opportunity for a great global healing and renewal. If we will accept the challenge of nonviolent activism with faith, courage, and determination, we can bring this great vision of a world united in peace and harmony from a distant ideal into glowing reality.
I think if people really read Martin Luther King, Jr., then they would begin to understand what he really represented.
It doesn't matter how strong your opinions are. If you don't use your power for positive change, you are, indeed, part of the problem.
Sometimes, I am also identified as a civil rights leader or a human rights activist. I would also like to be thought of as a complex, three-dimensional, flesh-and-blood human being with a rich storehouse of experiences, much like everyone else, yet unique in my own way, much like everyone else.
People don't ever have to starve to death; there are solutions. We have failed if we can't eradicate hunger in Africa and Ethiopia.
In climbing, having confidence in your partners is no small concern. One climber's actions can affect the welfare of the entire team.
Once every seven days, do something that frightens you. Every time we do something that we resist and is frightening, we actually grow in our power.
Deep down in the human spirit, there is a reservoir of courage. It is always available, always waiting to be discovered.
The martyr cannot be dishonored. Every lash inflicted is a tongue of fame; every prison a more illustrious abode.
In my darkest days in the oncology unit, I promised myself that if I ever got into remission one day, I would become a stronger, healthier and better version of my precancer self.
Come the three corners of the world in arms, and we shall shock them.
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