We live in a society of an imposed forgetfulness, a society that depends on public amnesia.
Angela DavisRead
It is essential to resist the depiction of history as the work of heroic individuals
Interpretation
What this quote means
History should be viewed as a collective effort rather than the achievements of a few heroes.
Angela Davis emphasizes the importance of recognizing history as the result of collective actions and struggles, rather than attributing significant events solely to heroic individuals. This perspective encourages a more inclusive understanding of historical developments, acknowledging the contributions of many people from diverse backgrounds who have shaped the past.
Themes
HistoryCollectiveIndividualsHeroesPerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on historical narratives, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of collective experiences in shaping history.
More from Angela Davis
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Racism is a much more clandestine, much more hidden kind of phenomenon, but at the same time it's perhaps far more terrible than it's ever been.
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Imprisonment has become the response of first resort to far too many of our social problems.
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It's true that it's within the realm of cultural politics that young people tend to work through political issues, which I think is good, although it's not going to solve the problems
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Radical simply means 'grasping things at the root.'
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