Agendas Quote by Cornel West
“All talks about legacies of white supremacy must be tied to empowering the lives of poor and working people as a whole. The black agenda - from Frederick Douglas to A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King Jr, Fannie Lou Hammer to Ella Baker - has always been tied to race talk inseparable from expanding possibilities of democracy, expanding empowerment of everyday people.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture at Harvard University, 2020
White supremacy's legacy must be linked to empowering poor and working people, as historic Black leaders tied race to broader democratic empowerment.
In simple terms: Link racism to broader empowerment.
Empower all people.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- community organizing
- education equity
- grassroots activism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we address both race and class in activism?
- What policies best empower marginalized communities?
Focusing solely on race may overlook class intersections.