To be white in America is to have the confidence to say, without a second thought: this space, this neighborhood, this city, this county, this country is mine.
Joy ReidRead
Freedom is neither guaranteed nor automatic; not even in the United States. Left unguarded, it can slip away like a thief in the night.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Freedom must be actively protected; it is not a given.
This quote by Joy Reid emphasizes that freedom is not an inherent condition or a guaranteed right, even in nations that value it highly, like the United States. It warns that if not actively defended and maintained, freedom can disappear unexpectedly and without warning, much like a thief stealing in the shadows.
Themes
FreedomVigilanceRightsProtectionLiberty
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on civil rights, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of protecting freedoms.
More from Joy Reid
All quotes βThe work of anti-racism can only take place inside each individual soul, where we all try to grow into better people. There is no national tonic or instant cure.
Joy ReidRead
To be white in America is to assume, with total self-confidence and little afterthought, the personal ownership of public spaces.
Joy ReidRead
There is a twinge of abandonment that comes with being a member of the African Diaspora. But 'Black Panther' fearlessly introduces and then complicates this and other deeply held albeit rarely expressed emotions; that indeed is what makes this film so profoundly innovative.
Joy ReidRead
For millions of Americans who happen to be black or brown, that core bond of trust with the government that governs closest to you, is too often broken.
Joy ReidRead
Similar quotes
If we look to the answer as to why for so many years we achieved so much, prospered as no other people on earth, it was because here in this land we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before. Freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available and assured here than in any other place on earth. The price for this freedom at times has been high, but we have never been unwilling to pay that price.
Ronald ReaganRead
Independence means we enjoy freedom. We are not colonised by people. And we can govern our own country and develop it independently so that our people can live a better life.
Mahathir MohamadRead
Years of imprisoning and beheading writers never succeeded in shutting them out. However, placing them in the heart of a market and rewarding them with a lot of commercial success, has.
Arundhati RoyRead
For those who know the value of and exquisite taste of solitary freedom (for one is only free when alone), the act of leaving is the bravest and most beautiful of all.
Isabelle EberhardtRead
We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way. The third is freedom from want. The fourth is freedom from fear.
Franklin D. RooseveltRead
I could never live happily in Africa-or anywhere else-until I could live freely in Mississippi.
Alice WalkerRead