The marginalized did not create identity politics: their identities have been forced on them by dominant groups, and politics is the most effective method of revolt.
Interpretation
Marginalized groups didn't choose their identities; they were imposed by those in power, leading to political action as a means of resistance.
This quote by Stacey Abrams highlights that the identities of marginalized individuals are often shaped by external forces, particularly the dominant society. These imposed identities can lead to the emergence of identity politics, where the affected groups use political activism as a form of resistance against the inequalities and injustices they face, viewing it as a powerful way to reclaim agency and advocate for their rights.
In practice
In a discussion on social justice, this quote can illustrate the importance of understanding political struggles as responses to imposed identities.
I grew up one of six children with working-class parents in the Deep South. My mother was a college librarian, and my father worked in a shipyard. I never saw them balance a checkbook, but they kept a roof over our heads and got all six of us into college.
I do not Google myself, I do not read comments, and I barely look myself in the eye when I look in the mirror.
My being a black woman is not a deficit. It is a strength. Because I could not be where I am had I not overcome so many other barriers. Which means you know I'm relentless, you know I'm persistent, and you know I'm smart.
The basis for sustainable progress is legal protections grounded in an awareness of how identity has been used to deny opportunity.
I like to solve problems. I know it is a skill set, but it's also an obligation. I grew up with parents who believe that you don't simply complain: you try to find solutions and fix what's in front of you.
Here in Georgia, we continue to grapple with our own vestiges of hate. The image carved into Stone Mountain, like Confederate monuments across this state, stand as constant reminders of racism, intolerance, and division.
While democracy in the long run is the most stable form of government, in the short run, it is among the most fragile.
I think maybe the people in elected positions are more interested in preserving their jobs than in doing the best job possible.
Elections have consequences. So many people want to complain, but they don't want to vote. We can talk about Hillary Clinton. We can celebrate her; we can support her, but if we don't come out and vote for her, for shame.
The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositories, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern, some of them in our country and under our own eyes.
A politician's words reveal less about what he thinks about his subject than what he thinks about his audience.
The task of the media in a democracy is not to ease the path of those who govern, but to make life difficult for them by constant vigilance as to how they exercise the power they only hold in trust from the people.
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