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
The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The value of a society is reflected in how it treats and values women.
Mary Mcleod Bethune's quote emphasizes that the true measure of a community or society lies in the dignity and character of its women. This suggests that the strength and values of a culture are revealed in the attitudes toward and treatment of women, highlighting the need for respect, empowerment, and equality as indicators of overall societal worth.
Themes
WorthRaceCharacterWomanhoodSocietyValue
In practice
Example use cases
In a women's empowerment seminar, this quote can be used to inspire discussion about gender equality.
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.
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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
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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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