We're not willing to give black leaders second chances because, in most cases, we're not willing to give them first chances.
Al SharptonRead
We have defeated Jim Crow, but now we have to deal with his son, James Crow Jr., esquire.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the ongoing struggle against systemic racism and the need for continued vigilance in addressing its modern manifestations.
Al Sharpton's quote addresses the idea that while significant progress has been made in overcoming the institutionalized racism of Jim Crow laws, new, subtler forms of discrimination continue to persist. By referencing 'James Crow Jr., esquire,' Sharpton emphasizes that the fight for racial equality is not over and that contemporary issues require a new understanding and strategy to combat ongoing injustices.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech during a civil rights march to highlight ongoing challenges.
We're not willing to give black leaders second chances because, in most cases, we're not willing to give them first chances.
The horrific cases in Ferguson, in Staten Island with the death of Eric Garner, and all across the country serve as stark reminders that we must have a say in who polices us, and how that policing is done. We must, we must, let our voices be heard on Election Day.
It is up to us to change laws on the books like 'Stand Your Ground' laws and push elected officials to enact regulations that hold police officers to the same standards as the rest of society. This is why we vote.
As I stood and gave the eulogy for young Michael Brown last week, I kept thinking about the fact that this child should have been in college instead of laying in a coffin.
If companies can refuse to provide coverage for women, what other objections to the Affordable Care Act will we see based on 'religious grounds'? For that matter, will 'religious freedom' be used as an excuse to discriminate against other minorities and disenfranchised groups across the board? Where will it end?
At such times the universe gets a little closer to us. They are strange times, times of beginnings and endings. Dangerous and powerful. And we feel it even if we don't know what it is. These times are not necessarily good, and not necessarily bad. In fact, what they are depends on what *we* are.
The power of a movement lies in the fact that it can indeed change the habits of people. This change is not the result of force but of dedication, of moral persuasion.
There will always be men struggling to change, and there will always be those who are controlled by the past.
Future generations are not going to ask us what political party were you in. They are going to ask what did you do about it, when you knew the glaciers were melting.
I remember clearly, when I was about 4, my Aunt Linda said, 'I'm not babysitting him no more. He's bad.' It was one of the first conscious shifts I remember making. I decided, 'I'm going to be good now.'
There is no fundamental social change by being simply of individual and interpersonal actions. You have to have organizations and institutions that make a fundamental difference.
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