30 Insightful Quotes on Racism and the Power of Diversity in Society
Inspiring musings on the beauty of celebrating differences.
Sometimes all you need is a powerful quote to lift your spirit. At a time when it's evident that change is necessary to address the racial injustice that currently prevails in America, it's only fitting to share some of our favorite quotes on the subject. Use these inspiring perspectives, including those from Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, and Oprah, to reflect on how to improve your own life to make the world a better place for generations to come.
Maya Angelou
Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.
Rosa Parks
To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.
Alice Walker
Activism is my rent for living on the planet.
Toni Morrison
There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race — scientifically, anthropologically.
James Baldwin
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
Mahatma Gandhi
An eye for an eye makes the world blind.
Oprah Winfrey
Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.
Angela Davis
In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.
Oprah Winfrey
It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you — always.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Malcolm X
A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.
Cornel West
Justice is what love looks like in public.
Barack Obama
I see what's possible when we recognize that we are one American family, all deserving of equal treatment.
Audre Lorde
It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.
Toni Morrison
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Malcolm X
You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.
Cornel West
None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so.
Elie Wiesel
Action is the only remedy to indifference: the most insidious danger of all.
Mahatma Gandhi
Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
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