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 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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Power can be a force for good or evil, depending on how it is used.
Mary McLeod Bethune emphasizes the dual nature of power and its impact on society. When harnessed wisely, power can enhance freedom and progress, but if misused, it can lead to destruction and oppression. This quote invites reflection on the ethical responsibilities that come with power and the importance of directing it towards positive ends.
Themes
PowerFreedomResponsibilityWisdomDestruction
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be referenced in a discussion about political leadership and ethical governance.
More from Mary Mcleod Bethune
All quotes →You 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.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
Enter to learn; depart to serve.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
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
Whatever the white man has done, we have done, and often better.
Mary Mcleod BethuneRead
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