We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great…
““We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great group living in ignorance. We cannot have a healthy nation with one-tenth of the people ill-nourished, sick, harboring germs of disease which recognize no color lines—obey no Jim Crow laws. We cannot have a nation orderly and sound with one group so ground down and thwarted that it is almost forced into unsocial attitudes and crime. We cannot be truly Christian people so long as we flout the central teachings of Jesus: brotherly love and the Golden Rule. We cannot come to full prosperity with one great group so ill-delayed that it cannot buy goods. So as we gird ourselves to defend democracy from foreign attack, let us see to it that increasingly at home we give fair play and free opportunity for all people.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A just society requires equality in health, education, and opportunity for all groups.
In simple terms: Equality is essential for a healthy nation.
Promote fairness across all sectors.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community activism
- education reform
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can reduce systemic inequality?
- How can individuals support fair opportunity?
Achieving full equality is complex and slow.