The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.
Thomas HobbesRead
The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers and mothers?-Or do they wish us to return thanks to them for chaining and handcuffing us, branding us, cramming fire down our throats, or for keeping us in slavery, and beating us nearly or quite to death to make us work in ignorance and miseries, to support them and their families. They certainly think we are a gang of fools.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses deep resentment and challenges the notion of gratitude in the context of historical oppression.
David Walker's quote powerfully confronts the hypocrisy of those who expect gratitude from a group that has suffered immense injustices. He questions the validity of thankfulness in light of the atrocities committed against his ancestors and highlights the absurdity of expecting appreciation for oppression, thus advocating for recognition of the historical pain and injustice endured.
Themes
GratitudeOppressionInjusticeSlaveryHistory
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on social justice, one could reference this quote to highlight the importance of acknowledging historical grievances.
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