I constantly felt (as I suppose many an ambitious girl has felt) a thumping from within unanswered by any beckoning from without.
Interpretation
The quote expresses an inner drive and ambition that is not always recognized or encouraged by the outside world.
Anna Julia Cooper highlights the internal struggle of ambition, particularly for women who often face societal barriers. She suggests that many ambitious individuals feel a strong desire to succeed from within, which may not be matched by external support or recognition, emphasizing the importance of self-motivation in the face of obstacles.
In practice
This quote can inspire young women pursuing their dreams despite societal expectations.
It is not the intelligent woman v. the ignorant woman; nor the white woman v. the black, the brown, and the red, it is not even the cause of woman v. man. Nay, tis woman's strongest vindication for speaking that the world needs to hear her voice.
I speak for the colored women of the South, because it is there that the millions of blacks in this country have watered the soil with blood and tears, and it is there too that the colored woman of America has made her characteristic history and there her destiny is evolving.
Let woman's claim be as broad in the concrete as the abstract. We take our stand on the solidarity of humanity, the oneness of life, and the unnaturalness and injustice of all special favoritism, whether of sex, race, country, or condition. If one link of the chain is broken, the chain is broken.
Bullies are always cowards at heart and may be credited with a pretty safe instinct in scenting their prey.
The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class - it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.
Peace produced by suppression is neither natural nor desirable.
Some gems for the greatest of them all
Make your mistakes, take your chances, look silly, but keep on going. Donβt freeze up.
Is it that your dream is unattainable or is it that you have the wrong dream?
You always overestimate what you can get done in a year and underestimate what you can get done in 10 years.
Before you start a goal - let's take care of our insecurities because they are going to surface when you put yourself in the crucible and you're suffering.
The only side effect of too much training is that you get into better shape. There is nothing wrong with that.
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