--- title: "6 Divide and conquer Quotes By Louis Yako" description: "6 Divide and conquer quotes by Louis Yako. Plus more from Louis Yako and more Divide and conquer sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/louis-yako-20010_decoloniality_it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-an_96273.jpg" --- > [“It is not a secret that most American and Western institutions and workplaces are very much like mountains: the higher one climbs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-and-western-institutions-and/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/louis-yako-20010_decoloniality_it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-an_96273.jpg) > [“Political correctness was never supposed to happen. Ever. The problem with politically correct language is already in the term itself: it corrects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/political-correctness-was-never-supposed-to-happen-ever-the-problem/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/louis-yako-20010_diversity-and-inclus_political-correctness-was-never-supposed_994194.jpg) > [“The first problem with the word “diversity” is the word itself. Who is diverse in relation to whom? The way diversity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/the-first-problem-with-the-word-diversity-is-the-word-itself-who-is/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16e/louis-yako-20010_diversity_the-first-problem-with-the-word-diversit_1138632.jpg) > [“We hear how diversity and equity are about lowering standards or doing away with them altogether. If DEI initiatives do the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-about-lowering-standards-or/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/louis-yako-20010_diversity_we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-abo_1720048.jpg) > [“By hiding behind the overarching term “white privilege,” the small percentage of privileged whites have ensured the following: first, they remain disguised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/by-hiding-behind-the-overarching-term-white-privilege-the-small/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e95/louis-yako-20010_diversity_by-hiding-behind-the-overarching-term-wh_3109753.jpg) > [“Many DEI officers/professionals I have spoken to over the years have confirmed to me that they don’t feel they have any power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/many-dei-officers-professionals-i-have-spoken-to-over-the-years-have/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/louis-yako-20010_change_many-dei-officers-professionals-i-have-s_3221433.jpg) ## More by Louis Yako > [ “\[Love Wasn’t as They Said\] Love wasn’t as they said… It didn’t last forever as they claimed… It is fleeting moments only recognized By… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/love-wasn-t-as-they-said-love-wasn-t-as-they-said-it-didn-t-last/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“It is not a secret that most American and Western institutions and workplaces are very much like mountains: the higher one climbs, the whiter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-and-western-institutions-and/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“In the end, we are left with this painful conundrum: we only need DEI initiatives because we don’t truly have a society that values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/in-the-end-we-are-left-with-this-painful-conundrum-we-only-need-dei/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“Arabs & Garbage" Strange is the Arab story with garbage— who told them, who taught them to toss waste carelessly, wherever and however they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/arabs-garbage-strange-is-the-arab-story-with-garbage-who-told-them/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“The Triumph of Goodness" If only the reality was like cartoons like teenager books and stories or like the countless movies and soap operas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/the-triumph-of-goodness-if-only-the-reality-was-like-cartoons-like/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“Political correctness was never supposed to happen. Ever. The problem with politically correct language is already in the term itself: it corrects the language,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/political-correctness-was-never-supposed-to-happen-ever-the-problem/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“Oh, my friends, the first wish I have for the new year is to change the worn-out greeting: 'happy new year'. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/oh-my-friends-the-first-wish-i-have-for-the-new-year-is-to-change-the/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“Another dangerous neoliberal word circulating everywhere that is worth zooming in on is the word ‘resilience’. On the surface, I think many people won’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/another-dangerous-neoliberal-word-circulating-everywhere-that-is/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“The first problem with the word “diversity” is the word itself. Who is diverse in relation to whom? The way diversity is often framed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/the-first-problem-with-the-word-diversity-is-the-word-itself-who-is/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“You’re crying because you think I’m going to a better place I’m crying because I think I’m leaving to a place Better than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/you-re-crying-because-you-think-i-m-going-to-a-better-place-i-m/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“I confront the question of whether DEI initiatives are divisive and ineffective. The answer is yes on both counts, but not for the narratives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/i-confront-the-question-of-whether-dei-initiatives-are-divisive-and/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“Yesterday I learned that hours are nothing but bodies We kill upon confronting, Or perhaps they are the ones That backstab us as soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/yesterday-i-learned-that-hours-are-nothing-but-bodies-we-kill-upon/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“I found Baghdad, like most big cities in the world: big, exciting, interesting, rich, poor, hot, cold, restless, sleepless, and cruel at one and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/i-found-baghdad-like-most-big-cities-in-the-world-big-exciting/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“We hear how diversity and equity are about lowering standards or doing away with them altogether. If DEI initiatives do the work they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-about-lowering-standards-or/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [“It is more important to look holistically at the root of why anyone would want to avoid work so badly that they’d game the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/it-is-more-important-to-look-holistically-at-the-root-of-why-anyone/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-and-conquer/louis-yako/#itemlist", "name": "6 Divide and conquer Quotes By Louis Yako", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is not a secret that most American and Western institutions and workplaces are very much like mountains: the higher one climbs, the whiter they become. But this whiteness at the top should not be seen as representative of all white people. We must distinguish between the white people who are as marginalized, silenced, and impoverished just like many other groups, and the specific ruling class that is white and that in fact also includes a big percentage of people who only started passing as white in recent history. The latter fact is crucial to understand why the small percentage of privileged whites at the top don’t mind the narratives that bracket all white people together, because in doing so, they continue to use all whites as human shields, while benefiting from framing everyone else as an enemy of white people at large. [From \"Understanding the DEI Dismantlement” published on Counterpunch on January 31, 2025]”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louis Yako" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-and-western-institutions-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/louis-yako-20010_decoloniality_it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-an_96273.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/louis-yako-20010_decoloniality_it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-an_96273.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/louis-yako-20010_decoloniality_it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-an_96273.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not a secret that most American and Western institutions and workplaces are very much like mountains…” — Louis Yako", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Political correctness was never supposed to happen. Ever. The problem with politically correct language is already in the term itself: it corrects the language, and in doing so, it politicizes it through such imposed corrections. The problem with political correctness is that it corrects the language without correcting the conditions that produce and enable that language. In doing so, we lose two battles: the battle for correcting the conditions that produce the need for the language of political correctness, and the battle for creating awareness among those who think that using politically correct language is going to make any meaningful changes. 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The way…” — Louis Yako", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We hear how diversity and equity are about lowering standards or doing away with them altogether. If DEI initiatives do the work they are supposed to do, they should not be lowering standards. Rather, they should revise and change standards in ways that take into consideration all groups who were never considered when these standards were made. [From \"Understanding the DEI Dismantlement” published on Counterpunch on January 31, 2025]”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louis Yako" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-about-lowering-standards-or/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/louis-yako-20010_diversity_we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-abo_1720048.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/louis-yako-20010_diversity_we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-abo_1720048.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa9/louis-yako-20010_diversity_we-hear-how-diversity-and-equity-are-abo_1720048.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We hear how diversity and equity are about lowering standards or doing away with them altogether. If DEI…” — Louis Yako", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“By hiding behind the overarching term “white privilege,” the small percentage of privileged whites have ensured the following: first, they remain disguised behind the veil of whiteness and thus maintain the status quo. Second, they ensure that most marginalized white people remain defensive—and come to their defense—whenever their wealth and power are threatened. Third, through the structure of “whiteness,” privileged whites ensure that a large percentage of disadvantaged white people see other groups fighting against similar socio-economic ills as enemies, not allies to unite with in their battle. As such, the first bold proposal I make, if we are serious about social change, is to replace “white privilege” with “privileged whites” to account for the many whites who are not privileged and distinguish them from those who are. The huge number of disadvantaged white people are allies in this battle against the privileged, wealthy ruling class who utilize countless “isms” and “phobias” as sorting devices, while using the term “white privilege” as a tool to prevent any potential allyship between many white people who are not part of their club, yet are misled to think that the problem is everyone else in society except the privileged whites…Precision in language makes a huge difference to ensure all social groups who need to unite and work together have clarity on what kind of changes are needed, and who exactly is blocking change and transformation. 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They are given just enough power – along with a fancy job title – to appear as though they are making changes, but once and if they dare to confront real problems, they are often replaced or disciplined by the privileged whites who remain at the top of every institution and organization. [From \"Understanding the DEI Dismantlement” published on Counterpunch on January 31, 2025]”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louis Yako" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/many-dei-officers-professionals-i-have-spoken-to-over-the-years-have/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/louis-yako-20010_change_many-dei-officers-professionals-i-have-s_3221433.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/louis-yako-20010_change_many-dei-officers-professionals-i-have-s_3221433.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57b/louis-yako-20010_change_many-dei-officers-professionals-i-have-s_3221433.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Many DEI officers/professionals I have spoken to over the years have confirmed to me that they don’t feel…” — Louis Yako", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-and-conquer/louis-yako/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-and-conquer/louis-yako/", "name": "Divide and conquer Quotes by Louis Yako", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-and-conquer/louis-yako/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40a/louis-yako-20010_decoloniality_it-is-not-a-secret-that-most-american-an_96273.jpg" }, "description": "6 Divide and conquer quotes by Louis Yako. 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