1 Emancipation wasn’t a gift bestowed on the slaves; it was something they took for themselves, the culmination of their long struggle for freedom. -Jamelle Bouie
Emancipation was never something that was handed down to the slaves. It was something that they fought for. It was their incessant struggle that bought them the freedom that they were always entitled to. And emancipation day is a remembrance of all of the sacrifices that were made to achieve this.
2 Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. -Martin Luther King Jr.
The oppressors will never care for the oppressed. You cannot expect them to come out and help the oppressed. Justice and freedom have to be demanded by the oppressed themselves. They have to fight for it and seize it with all their might.
3 You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom. -Malcolm X
Peace and freedom go hand in hand. Without freedom and liberty, there can be no peace. And without peace, injustice follows.
4 We have to wake up America, We have to make America uncomfortable like we’ve been uncomfortable for 400 years. -Gwen Carr
The Black community has been subjected to several injustices over the years. While the privileged have stayed numb to their struggle, those at the receiving end have had to face the brunt of the injustices. And it is time that the comfortable become uncomfortable and be made to see what the true reality is in the country.
5 Nobody’s free until everybody’s free. -Fannie Lou Hamer
Nobody is truly free until everyone is free. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Until every person is emancipated and protected from injustice and oppression, humanity can never be truly free.
6 We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white, It’s our basic human right. -Aretha Franklin
Respect and dignity are our rights and we are entitled to them. No person, irrespective of their gender, culture, or race deserves to be hurt or disrespected. They should be treated as equals and seen as every other human is.
7 Racism is man’s gravest threat to man, the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason. -Abraham Joshua Heschel
Racism is needless and irrational hate. There is no point in hating another for the color of their skin. There’s no logic or explanation to it. All it is is inexplicable, needless prejudice. What people need to do is to look within each other and recognize the humanity within.
8 Freedom is never given; it is won. -A. Philip Randolph
Freedom cannot be gifted for its a right to be won. You have to fight for it and seize it from your oppressors. You achieve it only after great many struggles and sacrifices.
9 Freedom is the emancipation from the arbitrary rule of other men. -Mortimer Adler
Freedom is when you break the shackles that other men have put on you. It is when you rise above subservience, stand up for justice and demand your rights.
10 White people raised in Western society are conditioned into a white supremacist worldview because it is the bedrock of our society. -Robin DiAngelo
The western world’s history is stained with racial violence and discrimination. It used to thrive upon this evil. And as such, the whites have become so conditioned to their privilege that they fail to even acknowledge racism.
11 There is no such thing as race, None, There is just a human race, scientifically, anthropologically. -Toni Morrison
Race is just a social construct. The colour of your skin should not determine how others act towards you. There is only one race and that is the human. Everything else, from race, to caste to religion is just superficial and mindless social constructs that make no sense.
12 In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, We must be anti-racist. -Angela Davis
It is not enough that you say you are not racist. In a world like ours, where people of colour are so brutally discriminated against, you have to condemn every act of racism and stand in solidarity with those who are facing such hate.
13 It’s been said that racism is so American that when we protest racism, some assume we’re protesting America. -Robin DiAngelo
The fact is that racism is an inseparable part of American history. It has seeped so deep into the core of the nation that America and racism may almost seem synonymous to some. And every time someone protests against racism, they are in fact protesting against this part of the American system itself.
14 There comes a time when people get tired of being plunged into the abyss of exploitation and nagging injustice. —Martin Luther King, Jr.
Revolution is sparked by the souls who have been butchered enough by unjust violations. There always comes a time when they stand up for their rights and demand for justice. And the silence of the privileged onlookers shall be broken by the screams of those who have decided to fight back and gain freedom.
15 For, to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. —Nelson Mandela
Freedom is only achieved when everyone in the society is determined to respect every other person’s personal freedom and work towards conserving that. It is not just having no chains to hold you back but to respect everyone else’s freedom too.
15 Best Anti-Racist Emancipation Day Quotes
1. Emancipation wasn’t a gift bestowed on the slaves; it was something they took for themselves, the culmination of their long struggle for freedom. -Jamelle Bouie
2. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. -Martin Luther King Jr.
3. You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom. -Malcolm X
4. We have to wake up America, We have to make America uncomfortable like we’ve been uncomfortable for 400 years. -Gwen Carr
5. Nobody’s free until everybody’s free. -Fannie Lou Hamer
6. We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white, It’s our basic human right. -Aretha Franklin
7. Racism is man’s gravest threat to man, the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason. -Abraham Joshua Heschel
8. Freedom is never given; it is won. -A. Philip Randolph
9. Freedom is the emancipation from the arbitrary rule of other men. -Mortimer Adler
10. White people raised in Western society are conditioned into a white supremacist worldview because it is the bedrock of our society. -Robin DiAngelo
11. There is no such thing as race, None, There is just a human race, scientifically, anthropologically. -Toni Morrison
12. In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, We must be anti-racist. -Angela Davis
13. It’s been said that racism is so American that when we protest racism, some assume we’re protesting America. -Robin DiAngelo
14. There comes a time when people get tired of being plunged into the abyss of exploitation and nagging injustice. —Martin Luther King, Jr.
15. For, to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. —Nelson Mandela