I've learned that my people are not the only ones oppressed... I have sung my songs all over the world and everywhere found that some common bond makes the people of all lands take to Negro songs as their own.
Paul RobesonRead
The intolerance of the few, or the risk of it, carries the day against the wider humanity of the many.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Intolerance from a small group can overshadow the values of the larger community.
This quote by Paul Robeson highlights how the negative behaviors and attitudes of a minority can significantly impact society, often overpowering the more humane and compassionate values held by the majority. It serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance against intolerance, which can undermine collective progress towards a more inclusive and humane community.
Themes
IntoleranceHumanityCommunitySocietyValues
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech addressing social justice issues.
More from Paul Robeson
All quotes βWe ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
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My mother was born in your state, Mr. Walter, and my mother was a Quaker, and my ancestors in the time of Washington baked bread for George Washington's troops when they crossed the Delaware, and my own father was a slave.
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I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom
Paul RobesonRead
And at home in the United States we found continued and increased persecution, first of leaders of the Communist Party, and then of all honest anti-fascists.
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Art is not just to show life as it is, but to show life as it should be.
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