Like every New Yorker, I know this place is magic. I know this place is amazing. I know that we have come back time and time again from a great recession, from high crime rates, from 9/11, from crisis after crisis.
Maya WileyRead
When Superstorm Sandy churned up fourteen-foot walls of water that slammed New York's coastal communities in October 2012, they also washed away any false notions we had that we care sufficiently for poor people.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the stark reality of inequality and calls for greater compassion towards the less fortunate after a disaster.
Maya Wiley's quote reflects on the impact of Superstorm Sandy and how such catastrophic events reveal the vulnerabilities of marginalized communities. The destruction caused by the storm underscored the negligence of society towards the needs of poor people, challenging the belief that we adequately care for them. It urges a reevaluation of our priorities and responsibilities towards those who are often overlooked.
Themes
Superstorm SandyInequalityCompassionPovertyDisasterVulnerability
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing disaster relief efforts, one could reference Maya Wiley's quote to emphasize the need for equity.
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I am a Black woman raised by parents who were active in the civil-rights movement.
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My mother was this White woman from Texas, from a racist town raised to believe in the inferiority of others by her community, not necessarily by her parents, but certainly by the community around her. And she fled it.
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In fact, black students with college degrees are twice as likely to be unemployed as white students with college degrees. So, to say there there is not an issue for black Americans and Latinos in terms of the opportunity that college is supposed to create would be wrong.
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We used to watch my father, who was a civil-rights activist, get arrested on TV sometimes, and we never knew if he was going to be home for dinner.
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