This is a country that was founded on racism. It was built on racism. It still continues to thrive through wealth disparity, and housing disparity is all built on the backs of racism.
W. Kamau BellRead
We can't throw the worst part of racism into the dustbin of history.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Acknowledging that the harmful aspects of racism cannot simply be forgotten or ignored is crucial for progress.
W. Kamau Bell's quote emphasizes the importance of confronting and addressing the negative legacy of racism rather than attempting to erase or overlook it. It suggests that to truly move forward as a society, we must openly acknowledge and deal with the worst aspects of racism instead of relegating them to history's past, as this understanding is essential for healing and change.
Themes
RacismHistoryAcknowledgmentChangeSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one might reference this quote to highlight the importance of confronting historical injustices.
More from W. Kamau Bell
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People born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens - except for the teeny, tiny, mind-boggling fact that if you live in Puerto Rico, you are not allowed to cast a vote in the election for president. That tiny fact starts to get bigger when you realize that electing our own leaders is the whole reason that we have a country in the first place.
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I've turned the annoying questions that white people ask into a career, so I understand that's where I live.
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In communities of color, such as Ferguson, it often feels like the police are protecting the white community from us instead of protecting our communities from the criminal element.
W. Kamau BellRead
When we let cops talk about themselves as a separate community, then we are letting cops wall themselves off from the rest of us. We don't generally do that with any other jobs. We don't talk about the barista community or the Wal-Mart greeter community.
W. Kamau BellRead
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