I think what's so powerful about Black Lives Matter is we're the first movement able to take on law enforcement and make it a popular discussion.
I am an abolitionist. What does this mean? Abolitionist resistance and resilience draws from a legacy of black-led anti-colonial struggle in the United States and throughout the Americas, including places like Haiti, the first black republic founded on the principles of anti-colonialism and black liberation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of resistance and resilience in the fight against oppression and colonialism.
In this quote, Patrisse Cullors identifies as an abolitionist and connects this identity to a historical legacy of resistance movements led by Black individuals against colonialism and oppression. She highlights the significance of drawing strength and inspiration from past struggles, particularly referencing Haiti as a beacon of anti-colonial achievement, which serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for liberation and justice in contemporary society.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about social justice, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of learning from historical movements.
More from Patrisse Cullors
All quotes →With support from techies, designers, artists and thousands of activists across the country, Black Lives Matter is now an online-to-offline political movement, affirming the humanity and resilience of black communities.
Many of us believed that Black Lives Matter would move this country to not only reckon with white racism but to usher in new laws and practices that would curb vigilantism and law enforcement violence. But, instead, white nationalism was nurtured and began to take root among the American people.
The black radical agenda, which pushes us closer to freedom and the agenda to which I subscribe, calls for an eradication of white supremacy and an adoption of values and traditions endowed from the black experience.
We keep calling for accountability and reinvestment and a push for all of us to imagine a world where black people are not policed but instead supported and loved and cared for. Where our families can feel safe and inspired and protected.
Myself and the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, but in truth, we are loving women whose life experiences have led us to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful.
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