There is nothing that says you can't be active and love your community and fight for your community and still do your job.
Malcolm JenkinsRead
I remember my dad always complaining about getting pulled over. I remember the differences in school systems. I remember seeing police officers, not knowing their names, and knowing that they were there not to protect us, not to serve us, but to watch us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the experience of growing up in an environment where authority figures are viewed with suspicion rather than trust.
Malcolm Jenkins shares a personal reflection on his upbringing, highlighting a sense of distrust towards law enforcement and a recognition of systemic inequalities within educational institutions. His recollections suggest a broader commentary on the relationship between marginalized communities and institutions that are meant to provide safety and support, bringing to light the struggles and feelings of alienation faced by many in similar situations.
Themes
JusticeDiscriminationPoliceEducationTrust
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting about police relations, this quote can illustrate the mistrust felt by residents.
More from Malcolm Jenkins
All quotes →I grew up playing in the streets. We played two-hand touch from street pole to street pole. That's how I learned the game.
Malcolm JenkinsRead
Our biggest thing is, any player who's protesting will tell you that the only reason we use the anthem is because it's a platform like no other. We use it to draw attention to other issues. We've heard from many people, 'Use a different venue. Use a different platform.' Quite frankly, this is the most effective one.
Malcolm JenkinsRead
When I look at our communities, our country, our justice system, those are things I want to change and I'm committed to changing, and that's going to take sacrifice. Laying the foundation is the hardest part and requires a lot of sacrifice and time.
Malcolm JenkinsRead
The people who have been unjustly disenfranchised by our criminal justice system and the people who daily fight for them always have, and always will be, the inspiration and focus of my efforts.
Malcolm JenkinsRead
Communities of color have also had to watch video after video of unarmed black men and women being handled without regard for their lives or well-being. As a black man, I see these images, and I see myself; I wonder whether this will happen to me or one of my loved ones.
Malcolm JenkinsRead
Similar quotes
I believe this system of mass incarceration would have Dr. King turning in his grave. There's no doubt in my mind that Dr. King would be doing everything in his power to build a movement to end mass incarceration in the United States; a movement for education, not incarceration.
Michelle AlexanderRead
Hot weather brings out snakes and slaveholders, and I like one class of the venomous creatures as little as I do the other.
Harriet Ann JacobsRead
In a sense the quest for the emancipation of black people in the U.S. has always been a quest for economic liberation which means to a certain extent that the rise of black middle class would be inevitable.
Angela DavisRead
In a nation growing increasingly more diverse, it is imperative that the organizations tasked with keeping us informed reflect the same diversity.
Marcia FudgeRead
The success of the few does not excuse the caste-like system that exists for many. In fact, black exceptionalism - the high-profile, highly visible examples of the black success - actually serves to justify and rationalize mass incarceration.
Michelle AlexanderRead
If you don't have a lens that's been trained to look at how various forms of discrimination come together, you're unlikely to develop a set of policies that will be as inclusive as they need to be.
Kimberle Williams CrenshawRead