I never set out to convert anyone in the Klan. I just set out to get an answer to my question: 'How can you hate me when you don't even know me.'
Daryl DavisRead
It was incomprehensible to me that someone who had never seen me before, someone who knew absolutely nothing about me, would want to inflict pain upon me for no other reason than the color of my skin.
Interpretation
The quote expresses shock and confusion over the idea of being judged and harmed based solely on race.
Daryl Davis reflects on the irrationality and cruelty of racism, highlighting the pain caused by prejudice from strangers who make judgments without knowledge of an individual’s character. The quote underscores the need for understanding and empathy in a society where such baseless discrimination can occur, emphasizing the importance of confronting and challenging these harmful attitudes.
In practice
In a speech addressing racial discrimination, I could emphasize that even strangers can wield great harm through their biases.
I never set out to convert anyone in the Klan. I just set out to get an answer to my question: 'How can you hate me when you don't even know me.'
I met a white man once, who claimed that every black man has a gene which makes him violent. To which, I said I had never been violent and that he was wrong.
Keep in mind, when two enemies are talking, they're not fighting, they're talking. They might be yelling and screaming, but at least they're talking. It's when the talking ceases that the ground becomes fertile for violence.
A lot of the media says, 'oh, black musician converts X-number of Klansmen.' I never converted one. But over 200 have left that, the white supremacy movements, because I have been the impetus for that.
Racism is a cancer. Black people have been dealing with this ever since we landed on these shores in shackles and chains. If we've been doing it for that long, those of us who are impatient need to be a little more patient and keep on addressing those things, not ignoring it. White people need to do the same thing. Don't turn a blind eye to it.
I decided to go around the country and sit down with Klan leaders and Klan members to find out: How can you hate me when you don't even know me?
When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'
People think you get tired quickly when you are a diabetic. But I have taken about 190 wickets in One Day International matches after I was diagnosed for diabetes, and lots even in Test cricket, and never got tired.
I used to be told if I talked about my sexuality in any way that we wouldn't have a tennis tour.
The socialist parties of all countries are duty bound to fight energetically for the implementation of universal women's suffrage which is to be vigorously advocated both by agitation and by parliamentary means. When a battle for suffrage is conducted, it should only be conducted according to socialist principles, and therefore with the demand of universal suffrage for women and men.
Something must be left to chance; nothing is certain in a sea fight
Some people would view Jackie Robinson as a very safe African-American, a docile figure who had a tendency to try to get along with everyone, and when you look at his history, you learn that he has this fire that allows him to take this punishment but also figure out savvy ways of giving it back.
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