During past years, like frightened children, we were afraid to eat the strong meat of human rights and instead sucked the milk of civil rights from the breasts of white liberals, black Uncle Toms, and Aunt Jemimas.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.Read
I am the product of the sustained indignation of a branded grandfather, the militant protest of my grandmother, the disciplined resentment of my father and mother, and the power of the mass action of the church.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker acknowledges the influence of their family and community in shaping their identity and values.
In this quote, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. reflects on how his identity and beliefs have been forged by the collective efforts and experiences of his family and the church community. He emphasizes the importance of generational struggle and advocacy in shaping who he is, suggesting that personal development is often a result of the environment and lineage from which one comes.
Themes
IndignationFamilyCommunityValuesIdentityProtest
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about civil rights, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of community and familial influences in personal activism.
More from Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
All quotes →Tremendous changes are taking place in our country, eradicating the concept of second-class citizenship.
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Where Negroes provide 20 percent of the vote, they should have 20 per cent of the jobs.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.Read
Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.Read
The black masses must demand and refuse to accept nothing less than that proportionate percentage of the political spoils such as jobs, elective offices and appointments... They must reject the shameful racial tokenism that characterizes the political life of America today.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.Read
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