If we have the courage and tenacity of our forebears, who stood firmly like a rock against the lash of slavery, we shall find a way to do for our day what they did for theirs.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
The drums of Africa still beat in my heart. They will not let me rest while there is a single Negro boy or girl without a chance to prove his worth.
Interpretation
This quote expresses a deep commitment to helping marginalized youth find opportunities for growth and success.
Mary McLeod Bethune's quote reflects her unwavering dedication to the empowerment and upliftment of African American youth. The 'drums of Africa' symbolize a connection to heritage and a call to action, suggesting that as long as there are young people facing injustices, she cannot find peace. This conveys her belief in the importance of education and opportunity for all, resonating with her life's work advocating for equality and access.
In practice
In a speech promoting education for underprivileged communities.
If we have the courage and tenacity of our forebears, who stood firmly like a rock against the lash of slavery, we shall find a way to do for our day what they did for theirs.
You white folks have long been eating the white meat of the chicken. We Negroes are now ready for some of the white meat instead of the dark meat.
Enter to learn; depart to serve.
We live in a world which respects power above all things. Power, intelligently directed, can lead to more freedom. Unwisely directed, it can be a dreadful, destructive force.
Forgiving is not about forgetting, it's letting go of the hurt
What does the Negro want? His answer is very simple. He wants only what all other Americans want. He wants opportunity to make real what the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights say, what the Four Freedoms establish. While he knows these ideals are open to no man completely, he wants only his equal chance to obtain them.
I've never been a person that has had fear of, like, 'Oh, I don't want to be the poster child for all black lesbian women.' I don't know. I want to be someone in the public eye that they can be proud of.
No one else can feel it for you_x000D_ Only you can let it in_x000D_ No one else, no one else_x000D_ Can speak the words on your lips_x000D_ Drench yourself in words unspoken_x000D_ Live your life with arms wide open_x000D_ Today is where your book begins_x000D_ The rest is still unwritten.
No true and permanent fame can be founded, except in labors which promote the happiness of mankind.
When I'm hard at work, when I'm deep in it, there is no other feeling. For me, my work is at all times building a nation out of thin air. It is manning the troops. It is painting a canvas. It is hitting every high note. It is running a marathon. It is being Beyonce. And it is all of those things at the same time.
Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought I'd see," you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. [...] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
Your dreams, what you hope for and all that, it's not separate from your life. It grows right up out of it.
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