I hope that audiences understand that there is a precariousness to black lives in this country that we need to address, that there has always been a precariousness to black lives in this country that we need to address. In fact, our country is built on the precariousness of black lives, the disposability of black lives.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the inherent vulnerabilities of Black lives in America and the urgent need for societal change.
Yance Ford emphasizes the historical and ongoing precariousness faced by Black individuals in the United States, suggesting that their lives are often viewed as disposable. This acknowledgment calls for a deeper understanding and recognition of systemic issues that perpetuate this vulnerability, urging society to confront and address these injustices.
In practice
This quote can be shared at a social justice rally to highlight the importance of addressing racial inequalities.
Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same message: You can be anything; you can do anything. That wasn't extraordinary; that was ordinary for us. My folks didn't believe in black exceptionalism. There's nothing exceptional about 'You can have that, too' - except when it comes to justice. You can't have that.
The gay rights movement is not a party. It is not a lifestyle. It is not a hair style. It is not a fad or a fringe or a sickness. It is not about sin or salvation. The gay rights movement is an integral part of the American promise of freedom.
To me poverty, mental health, and addictions don't sound like criminal justice problems. They sound to me like a social justice problem.
Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement and remuneration based on ability.
My activism did not spring from being black...The racial injustice that was present in this country during my youth was a challenge to my belief in the oneness of the human family.
Growth is essential and must be sustained. But rapid growth alone cannot address the problems arising out of continuing disparities. Tackling these is not just a matter of social justice but, more importantly, an existential necessity and a moral imperative.
There is no reason why a nation as rich as ours should be blighted by poverty, disease, and illiteracy.
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