The first task in teaching is to bring to consciousness what the students already believe by virtue of their personal experiences about themselves and society.
Paul WellstoneRead
What the poor, the weak, and the inarticulate desperately require is power, organization, and a sense of identity and purpose, not rarefied advice of political scientists.
Interpretation
The marginalized need empowerment and unity rather than academic theories.
This quote emphasizes that those who are disadvantaged in society—be they economically poor, physically weak, or lacking the ability to express themselves—need practical support, organization, and a clear sense of their identity and purpose. Instead of abstract political theories, tangible empowerment and solidarity are essential for these groups to achieve meaningful change in their lives and communities.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about social justice.
The first task in teaching is to bring to consciousness what the students already believe by virtue of their personal experiences about themselves and society.
A politics that is not sensitive to the concerns and circumstances of people's lives, a politics that does not speak to and include people, is an intellectually arrogant politics that deserves to fail.
The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
I think the future also will not belong to those who are cynical or those who stand on the sidelines
Politics is not about power. Politics is not about money. Politics is not about winning for the sake of winning. Politics is about the improvement of people's lives.
Our politics are our deepest form of expression: they mirror our past experiences and reflect our dreams and aspirations for the future.
Party and ideology routinely trump institutional interests and responsibilities. Regular order - the set of rules, norms and traditions designed to ensure a fair and transparent process - was the first casualty. The results: No serious deliberation. No meaningful oversight of the executive. A culture of corruption.
Look, I get it. Whether it's school, work, family, we've all got a lot on our minds. People say to me, "I'm just too busy to think about politics." But here's the thing: You may not be thinking about politics, but politics is thinking about you.
If experience teaches us anything at all, it teaches us this: that a good politician, under democracy, is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.
In the year 2025, the best men don't run for president, they run for their lives. . . .
I think, at the end of the day, especially for municipal elections, we see relatively low voter turnout. So the goal is to expand who sees themselves reflected in government, who's empowered to take the lead in politics.
One must beware of ministers who can do nothing without money, and those who want to do everything with money.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.