A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.
Malcolm XRead
No, we are not anti-white. But we don't have time for the white man. The white man is on top already, the white man is the boss already ... He has first-class citizenship already. So you are wasting your time talking to the white man. We are working on our own people.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the need for marginalized groups to focus on their own advancement rather than attempting to seek approval or assistance from those in power.
Malcolm X's quote highlights the frustration of marginalized communities who feel that engaging with those in power, particularly the white majority, is futile. Instead of seeking validation or support from a group that already holds a privileged position, the focus should be on empowering and uplifting one's own community to foster self-reliance and progress. It serves as a call to action for people to prioritize their own issues and development rather than waiting for approval or assistance from those who have historically oppressed them.
Themes
EmpowermentSelf-RelianceCommunityMarginalizationAdvancement
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on social justice to emphasize the importance of community work.
More from Malcolm X
All quotes →I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands, even if he's wrong, than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil.
Malcolm XRead
When you want a nation, that's called nationalism... Black nationalism. A revolutionary is a Black nationalist. He wants a nation.
Malcolm XRead
So over you is the greatest enemy a man can have — and that is fear. I know some of you are afraid to listen to the truth — you have been raised on fear and lies. But I am going to preach to you the truth until you are free of that fear...
Malcolm XRead
Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.
Malcolm XRead
Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
Malcolm XRead
Similar quotes
Climate change pries further apart the haves and have-nots.
Martin Luther King IiiRead
Being a mother is no longer a liability, and being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition! That's what change looks like.
Kathleen SebeliusRead
Thankfully dreams can change. If we'd all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses. So whatever your dream is right now, if you don't achieve it, you haven't failed and you're not some loser-but just as importantly-if you do get your dream, you're not a winner.
Stephen ColbertRead
The Autumn is old; The sere leaves are flying; He hath gather'd up gold, And now he is dying;- Old age, begin sighing!
Thomas HoodRead
Investing in women's lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations - and consequently in our own long-term national interests.
Liya KebedeRead
One can't erase the tremendous burden of apartheid in 10 years, 20 years, I believe, even 30 years.
Susan RiceRead