Able Quote by Fannie Lou Hamer
“When I got on that plane, it was loaded with white people going to Africa for the Peace Corps. I got there and met a lot of them, and actually they had more peace there in Guinea than I have here. I talked to some of them. I told them before they would be able to clean up somebody else's house you would have to clean up yours; before they can tell somebody else how to run their country, why don't they do something here.”
About This Quote
Peace Corps volunteers often lack personal peace; they must first resolve their own issues before helping others.
In simple terms: Help others only after fixing yourself.
Key Takeaway
Focus on self‑improvement before external aid.
Themes
service
self-awareness
responsibility
Mood
determined
reflective
Type
activist
advisory
When to use this quote
- community work
- personal development
- policy making
Key Concepts
social justice
leadership
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one balance personal growth with service?
- What structures support effective aid?
A Different Perspective
Some can help others despite personal struggles.
![“In a way, going to Africa allowed me to see possibilities that sometimes seem impossible in certain conditions. It also allowed me to see opportunities for material strategies. I hate it when people think I went and got something [from Africa] and brought it here. It's more about how it affects…” quote by David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a6/david-adjaye-31851_certain_in-a-way-going-to-africa-allowed-me-to-s_2324863.jpg)
![“I met one child there eleven years old, speaking three languages [in Guinea]. He could speak English, French and Malinke. Speaking my language actually better than I could. And this hypocrisy - they tell us here in America [ that black people can't be intelligent].” quote by Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6ef/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_america_i-met-one-child-there-eleven-years-old-s_78966.jpg)
![“... some of my people could have been left [in Africa] and are living there. And I can't understand them and they don't know me and I don't know them because all we had was taken away from us. And I became kind of angry; Ifelt the anger of why this had to happen to us. We were so stripped and…” quote by Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d38/fannie-lou-hamer-3999_robbed_some-of-my-people-could-have-been-left-i_142242.jpg)
