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
Tremendous changes are taking place in our country, eradicating the concept of second-class citizenship.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes significant societal transformations aimed at eliminating inequality.
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. highlights the ongoing transformations within society that strive to abolish the notion of second-class citizenship. This signifies a collective movement towards equality, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has the same rights and opportunities as others, thus promoting a more inclusive and equitable society.
Themes
ChangeEqualityCitizenshipRightsSociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech advocating for civil rights reform.
More from Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
All quotes βWhere Negroes provide 20 percent of the vote, they should have 20 per cent of the jobs.
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.
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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