--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American people have this to learn…" description: "\"“The American people have this to learn: that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg" --- # The American people have this to learn: that where justice… ![“The American people have this to learn: that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither person nor property is safe.” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg) > ““The American people have this to learn: that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither person nor property is safe.”” [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage asserts that injustice, poverty, ignorance, and class oppression create a society where no one is safe, emphasizing universal vulnerability under systemic oppression. **In simple terms:** Injustice makes everyone unsafe. Key Takeaway Combat oppression to protect all. Themes social justice equality human rights Mood urgent hopeful Type activist educational When to use this quote - civil rights movements - policy reform - community organizing - educational programs - legal advocacy Key Concepts systemic oppression poverty education class struggle Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect the most vulnerable? - What role does education play in reducing oppression? A Different Perspective Addressing all forms simultaneously is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Justice denied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice-denied/) ## Related quotes > [Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/where-justice-is-denied-where-poverty-is-enforced-where-ignorance/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Where justice is denied, wherepoverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and whereany one class is made to feel that society is in an organizedconspiracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/where-justice-is-denied-wherepoverty-is-enforced-where-ignorance/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [America faces an enemy who believes in enforced ignorance. And all that we stand for is the open mind, the generous spirit, the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/america-faces-an-enemy-who-believes-in-enforced-ignorance-and-all/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [When I went to law school, I went to learn about justice and equal rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanine-pirro/when-i-went-to-law-school-i-went-to-learn-about-justice-and-equal/) [Jeanine Pirro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanine-pirro/) > [“The perfect simplicity of salvation is broken up upon these rocks that we have built, and scattered for us to ponder and piece together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/the-perfect-simplicity-of-salvation-is-broken-up-upon-these-rocks/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) > [Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, . . . neither persons nor property will be safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/where-justice-is-denied-where-poverty-is-enforced-neither-persons-nor/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“In 1891, Robert Louis Stevenson received a letter from a Vermont girl named Annie Ide. Her birthday fell on Christmas, she said, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-ross/in-1891-robert-louis-stevenson-received-a-letter-from-a-vermont-girl/) [Greg Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-ross/) > [Justice deferred is justice denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-watson/justice-deferred-is-justice-denied/) [Diane Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-watson/) > [We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-come-to-see-with-the-distinguished-jurist-of-yesterday-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“As Dr. King once said, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” If”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/as-dr-king-once-said-justice-too-long-delayed-is-justice-denied-if/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/for-years-now-i-have-heard-the-word-wait-it-rings-in-the-ear-of-every/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [For years now I have heard the word "wait." It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This "wait" has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/for-years-now-i-have-heard-the-word-wait-it-rings-in-the-ear-of-every-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Justice delayed is justice denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-gladstone/justice-delayed-is-justice-denied/) [William E. Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-gladstone/) > [Justice too long delayed is justice denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/justice-too-long-delayed-is-justice-denied/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-know-through-painful-experience-that-freedom-is-never-voluntarily-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Frederick Douglass > [“A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-treacherous-president-stood-in-the-way-and-it-can-be-easily-seen/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“But I should be false in the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/but-i-should-be-false-in-the-earliest-sentiments-of-my-soul-if-i/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the South is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes—a justifier of the most appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-prescribed-by-the-endurance-of-those-whom/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/power-concedes-nothing-without-a-demand-it-never-did-and-it-never-will/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-fatal-poison-of-irresponsible-power-was-already-in-her-hands-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-battle-lost-or-won-is-easily-described-understood-and-appreciated/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/knowledge-makes-a-man-unfit-to-be-a-slave/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/at-a-time-like-this-scorching-irony-not-convincing-argument-is-needed/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) [Explore all 348 Frederick Douglass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) Victor Gold > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The American people have this to learn: that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither person nor property is safe.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Douglass" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-that-where-justice-is-denied/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-that-where-justice-is-denied/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/frederick-douglass-859_american-people_the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-t_1485850.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The American people have this to learn: that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where…” — Frederick Douglass", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frederick Douglass", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The American people have this to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-that-where-justice-is-denied/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-american-people-have-this-to-learn-that-where-justice-is-denied/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```