Racism Quotes
The following racism quotes contain inspiring perspectives to help you reflect and do whatever you can to make the world a better place for you and generations yet to come. Showing that you care about other people’s well-being, that you are an ally in promoting inclusion and equity, are some great actions you can take to help overcome the consequences of racism.
It all starts with
awareness. Just because racism doesn’t happen among the people you know, it
doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Passive racism is probably the most insidious
factor that contributes to the ongoing problem.
Here are 30 quotes on racism
quotes to help fight prejudice and injustice:
There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race -- scientifically, anthropologically.
TONI MORRISON (more Toni Morrison quotes)
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
JAMES BALDWIN
People who insist on dividing the world into 'Us' and 'Them' never contemplate that they may be someone else's 'Them.'
RAY A. DAVIS
Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.
MUHAMMAD ALI
If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you recognize that your liberation and mine are bound up together, we can walk together.
LILA WATSON
In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.
ANGELA DAVIS (more Angela Davis quotes)
None of us is responsible for the complexion of his skin. This fact of nature offers no clue to the character or quality of the person underneath.
MARIAN ANDERSON
Accomplishments have no color.
LEONTYNE PRICE
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.
DESMOND TUTU
As long as there is racial privilege, racism will never end.
WAYNE GERARD TROTMAN
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
HARRIET TUBMAN (more Harriet Tubman quotes)
It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.
AUDRE LORDE
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word
MARTIN LUTHER KING
The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.
TONI MORRISON
It belongs to the very substance of nonviolence never to destroy or damage another person's feeling of self worth, even an opponent's.
BERNARD HARING
Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected.
KOFI ANNAN
One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.
FRANKLIN THOMAS
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.
MAYA ANGELOU
Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN (more Abraham Lincoln quotes)
Racism is man’s gravest threat to man -- the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.
ABRAHAM HESCHEL
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.
MARK TWAIN
When will our conscience grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.
ANNE FRANK
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (more Martin Luther King Jr. quotes)
Whoever debases others is debasing himself.
JAMES BALDWIN
No matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might otherwise.
MARIAN ANDERSON
Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can't just be on people of color to deal with it. It's up to all of us -- Black, white, everyone -- no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out.
MICHELLE OBAMA
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
NELSON MANDELA (more Nelson Mandela quotes)
The beauty of anti-racism is that you don't have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it's the only way forward.
IJEOMA OLUO
The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.
STEPHEN BIKO
You're Already a Leader: Learning to See Your Impact on the World
“I’m not really a leader.”
Not surprisingly, that is a statement I hear quite a bit as a leadership coach. Many people are so caught up in the day-to-day, the have-to’s, that they completely lose sight of the impact they have on the lives of those around them.
“Well, that’s just what I do.”
This is probably the statement I hear almost as much as “I’m not really a leader.” Whether it’s taking care of a 3-year old toddler or a $30 million-dollar business with a hundred employees (or both simultaneously), people begin to see the work they do as normal. They no longer see the extraordinary ideas, effort, and results that are borne of what they see as small, insignificant tasks.
You're Already a Leader: Learning to See Your Impact on the World
Perhaps you are reading this and seeing yourself in these two statements. You are starting to think about the “little things” you do every day and how they impact yourself, others, and the achievement of much broader goals. You are beginning to realize not only how your actions impact others, but that what and how you do those things are unique and special to you. This is your moment of leadership awareness.
See your goals
Many people have goals they can rattle off without much difficulty: a successful career or business. A happy family. Fulfilling relationships. All of these are wonderful and admirable goals.
Yet how much do we truly see our goals? By “seeing" our goals, I mean seeing them for what they really mean to you. What do your goals ultimately say about what you want for your life and the lives of those around you? Goals are not just finish lines off in the distance that you're trying to reach. They are a reflection of who you are, what is important to you, and what you are working towards becoming in the future. Your goals are you. It may not seem like it, but when you sit down and list out all your goals and aspirations, take a moment to see them not as tasks and to-do’s, but instead as a reflection of yourself.
READ: Finding Your Why: How to Discover Your Professional Purpose
Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire others to strive towards a common goal. By understanding how the goals you have for your career, your business, your family, or your life reflect who you are, you begin to understand your own motivations for reaching those goals. When you know your own motivations, your purpose, you can better understand how to connect to and inspire others, even if what inspires them is different from you.
Identify your influence on others
Influence can be powerful, whether it is wielded like a sword or whispered like a prayer. Influence doesn’t come to us through a fancy title or a big bank account. We all know people who have one or the other yet who inspire little confidence from those around them. Influence can be earned by your skill and ability to produce results. Influence can also flow from your own authentic passion and commitment. Maybe you don’t have the background and pedigree, but others are inspired by something intangible within you that speaks to their own goals and desires, or to their personal feelings towards you. Think about the influence you have in various parts of your life, and identify what it is that draws others to you. Who do you influence and why do they follow your lead?
Leadership requires understanding where your influence comes from and making sure you use it in a way that is aligned with your authentic self and the goals you want to achieve. When your influence is corrupted by things that are detrimental to your goals, or even more importantly, to the people who trust and believe in you, that influence fades quickly. Whatever the source, influence is never taken. It is given, and can be rescinded when abused.
Conscious leadership
Raising your leadership awareness can be an uncomfortable process. Most of us are not taught to sit back and think to themselves, “Why am I so awesome?” We’re taught that humility and hard work are what yield benefits in our lives and careers. We may say things like “Oh, I didn’t really do much” or “Anyone could have done it.”
Yet to truly be a leader, we must begin to tap into the parts of ourselves that are unique and dynamic. We must consciously embrace that there are special traits within us that are so powerful that they inspire others not only to believe in us, but to take incredible actions that defy their own self-perceived limitations and bring us closer to achieving shared goals.
You are already a leader. Now is the time to recognize your leadership abilities and consciously utilize them to make a difference.