--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order for us as poor and oppressed…" description: "\"In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/ella-baker-10989_african-american_in-order-for-us-as-poor-and-oppressed-pe_3159365.jpg" --- # In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become… ![“In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed... It means facing a system that does not lend its self to your needs and devising means by which you change that system.” quote by Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/ella-baker-10989_african-american_in-order-for-us-as-poor-and-oppressed-pe_3159365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/ella-baker-10989_african-american_in-order-for-us-as-poor-and-oppressed-pe_3159365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe1/ella-baker-10989_african-american_in-order-for-us-as-poor-and-oppressed-pe_3159365.jpg) > “In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed... It means facing a system that does not lend its self to your needs and devising means by which you change that system.” [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Change requires confronting and reshaping oppressive structures to create a meaningful society for marginalized people. **In simple terms:** Oppressed must transform the system. Key Takeaway Act to reshape unjust structures. Themes justice activism systemic change empowerment Mood determined hopeful Type inspirational political When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - education reform Key Concepts radical reform collective action grassroots organizing Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals effectively challenge systemic oppression? - What strategies sustain long‑term reform? A Different Perspective Changing systems is complex and may face entrenched resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ## Related quotes > [To those who study her, Nature reveals herself as extraordinarily fertile and ingenious in devising means, but she has no ends which the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/to-those-who-study-her-nature-reveals-herself-as-extraordinarily/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [If the desire to get somewhere is strong enough in a person, his whole being, conscious and unconscious, is always at work, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-philip-grove/if-the-desire-to-get-somewhere-is-strong-enough-in-a-person-his-whole/) Frederick Philip Grove > [We must not waste life in devising means. It is better to plan less and do more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/we-must-not-waste-life-in-devising-means-it-is-better-to-plan-less/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [ The art of research \[is\] the art of making difficult problems soluble by devising means of getting at them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/the-art-of-research-is-the-art-of-making-difficult-problems-soluble/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [“People in the city are poor because they are oppressed, discriminated against and alienated; people in the country are poor because they're too stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-keizer/people-in-the-city-are-poor-because-they-are-oppressed-discriminated/) [Garret Keizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-keizer/) > [We have to devise means of making known the facts in such a way as to touch the imagination of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eglantyne-jebb/we-have-to-devise-means-of-making-known-the-facts-in-such-a-way-as-to/) [Eglantyne Jebb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eglantyne-jebb/) > [The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and of the oppressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-bible-has-been-the-magna-charta-of-the-poor-and-of-the-oppressed/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [The Bible has been the Magna Carta of the poor and of the oppressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-bible-has-been-the-magna-carta-of-the-poor-and-of-the-oppressed/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [God's Word teaches a very hard, disturbing truth. 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The institutions send the victim's family on a merry-go-round,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-newton/institutions-work-this-way-a-son-is-murdered-by-the-police-and/) [Huey Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-newton/) > [If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/if-our-church-is-not-marked-by-caring-for-the-poor-the-oppressed-the/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [There is fascism , leading only into the blackness which it has chosen as its symbol, into smartness and yapping out of orders,and self-righteous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/there-is-fascism-leading-only-into-the-blackness-which-it-has-chosen/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [“A state without the means of some change, is without the means of its own conservation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/a-state-without-the-means-of-some-change-is-without-the-means-of-its/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“To change yourself means to change the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clamp/to-change-yourself-means-to-change-the-future/) [CLAMP](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clamp/) ## More by Ella Baker > [In order to see where we are going, we not only must remember where we have been, but we must understand where we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/in-order-to-see-where-we-are-going-we-not-only-must-remember-where-we/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [The major job was getting people to understand that they had something within their power that they could use, and it could only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/the-major-job-was-getting-people-to-understand-that-they-had/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [After the '57 initial meeting - I was up this way working, not as a staff person - there became the need for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/after-the-57-initial-meeting-i-was-up-this-way-working-not-as-a-staff/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [My theory is, strong people don't need strong leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/my-theory-is-strong-people-don-t-need-strong-leaders/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [Oppressed people, whatever their level of formal education, have the ability to understand and interpret the world around them, to see the world for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/oppressed-people-whatever-their-level-of-formal-education-have-the/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I went to what is known as, and was at that time, too, Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. In fact, because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-went-to-what-is-known-as-and-was-at-that-time-too-shaw-university/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [Strong people don't need strong leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/strong-people-don-t-need-strong-leaders/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [His name was Michael R. Ross. I've never known what the "R" was for. He died, however, before I was 7. But he and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/his-name-was-michael-r-ross-i-ve-never-known-what-the-r-was-for-he/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I guess the best way to describe that would be to connect with the fact that I came out of college just before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-guess-the-best-way-to-describe-that-would-be-to-connect-with-the/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I had been friendly with people who were in the Communist party and all the rest of the Left forces, which were oriented in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-had-been-friendly-with-people-who-were-in-the-communist-party-and/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [ I didn't have any close relationship with him because, although \[William Edward Burghardt\] DuBois may not have been as egocentric - I don't know… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-didn-t-have-any-close-relationship-with-him-because-although/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [ \[Walter White\] was also one of the best lobbyist of the period. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/walter-white-was-also-one-of-the-best-lobbyist-of-the-period/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I think, to be honest, sort of emanated from the initial work of somebody else instead of SCLC. If you take Albany; I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-think-to-be-honest-sort-of-emanated-from-the-initial-work-of/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/we-who-believe-in-freedom-cannot-rest-until-it-comes/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [I didn't break the rules, but I challenged the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/i-didn-t-break-the-rules-but-i-challenged-the-rules/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) [Explore all 62 Ella Baker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) ## More African american quotes > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. 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I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. 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