If we have the courage and tenacity of our forebears, who stood firmly like a rock against the lash of slavery, we shall find a way to do for our day what they did for theirs.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Youth holds great potential, and we must be brave enough to reform outdated practices to harness that potential for positive outcomes.
This quote emphasizes the importance of recognizing the immense potential present in younger generations. Mary McLeod Bethune advocates for the need to challenge and change traditional ideas and practices that may hinder the positive direction of this potential, urging society to direct the energy and willingness of youth towards beneficial goals and advancements.
Themes
YouthPotentialChangeCourageProgress
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech at a youth empowerment conference.
More from Mary Mcleod Bethune
All quotes βYou white folks have long been eating the white meat of the chicken. We Negroes are now ready for some of the white meat instead of the dark meat.
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Enter to learn; depart to serve.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
We live in a world which respects power above all things. Power, intelligently directed, can lead to more freedom. Unwisely directed, it can be a dreadful, destructive force.
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Forgiving is not about forgetting, it's letting go of the hurt
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
What does the Negro want? His answer is very simple. He wants only what all other Americans want. He wants opportunity to make real what the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights say, what the Four Freedoms establish. While he knows these ideals are open to no man completely, he wants only his equal chance to obtain them.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
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