Then, in the next place, we must know that every being which is endowed with reason, and transgresses its statutes and limitations, is undoubtedly involved in sin by swerving from rectitude and justice.
OrigenRead
The first thing you must do is forget that I'm Black. Second, you must never forget that I'm Black.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the complexity of identity and the importance of acknowledging race while also moving beyond stereotypes.
Pat Parker's quote presents a duality in how we perceive identity, particularly in the context of race. The first part urges us to look beyond race in order to view an individual as a whole person, while the second part insists on the significance of racial identity, emphasizing that it is an integral part of one's experience and cannot be overlooked. This captures the tension between wanting equality and recognizing the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities.
Themes
IdentityRaceEqualityAwarenessRecognition
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about diversity, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of seeing beyond superficial labels.
Similar quotes
History is a mighty dramos, enacted upon the theatre of times, with suns for lamps and eternity for a background.
Thomas CarlyleRead
There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty regulating all the details of time, place, circumstance, and quantity; leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties.
Alexander HamiltonRead
Dying is not romantic, and death is not a game which will soon be over... Death is not anything... death is not... It's the absence of presence, nothing more... the endless time of never coming back... a gap you can't see, and when the wind blows through it, it makes not sound.
Tom StoppardRead
The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.
Nhat HanhRead
Moralists and philosophers have adjudged those who throw temptation in the way of the erring, equally guilty with those who are thereby led into evil
Mark TwainRead