It is dangerous to be an American Negro male. America has never wanted its Negroes to be men, and does not, generally, treat them as men. It treats them as mascots, pets, or things.
James A. BaldwinRead
Fires can't be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.
Interpretation
Enthusiasm is essential for productivity and enjoyment in our work.
James A. Baldwin emphasizes that enthusiasm is a crucial ingredient for engaging in any activity, particularly in the workplace. He suggests that just as dead embers cannot produce fire, individuals lacking spirit cannot inspire enthusiasm in others. By fostering enthusiasm, even challenging tasks can become enjoyable.
In practice
Use this quote when giving a motivational speech to a team at work.
It is dangerous to be an American Negro male. America has never wanted its Negroes to be men, and does not, generally, treat them as men. It treats them as mascots, pets, or things.
The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.
Those kids aren't dumb. But the people who run these schools want to make sure they don't get smart: they are really teaching the kids to be slaves.
Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.
The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black.
The trick is to love somebody.... If you love one person, you see everybody else differently.
I like to think of ideas as potential energy. They're really wonderful, but nothing will happen until we risk putting them into action.
Always remember, there is more strength in you than you ever realized or even imagined. Certainly nothing can keep you down if you are determined to get on top of things and stay there.
Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes it.
I still bother with runners I call hamburgers. They're never going to run any record times. But they can fulfill their own potential.
You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't think he knows.
There's a storm inside of us, a burning river, a drive. You push yourself further than anyone could think possible. You are never out of the fight.
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