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 →The 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
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You put a tattoo on yourself with the knowledge that this body is yours to have and enjoy while you're here. You have fun with it, and nobody else can control (supposedly) what you do with it. That's why tattooing is such a big thing in prison: it's an expression of freedom—one of the only expressions of freedom there. They can lock you down, control everything, but 'I've got my mind, and I can tattoo my body—alter it my way as an act of personal will.'
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They were singing in French, but the melody was freedom and any American could understand that.
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