--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If this work can contribute in any way…" description: "\"If this work can contribute in any way toward proving this, and at the same time arouse the conscience of the American people to a demand for justice t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg" --- # If this work can contribute in any way toward proving… ![“If this work can contribute in any way toward proving this, and at the same time arouse the conscience of the American people to a demand for justice to every citizen, and punishment by law for the lawless, I shall feel I have done my race a service.” quote by Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg) > “If this work can contribute in any way toward proving this, and at the same time arouse the conscience of the American people to a demand for justice to every citizen, and punishment by law for the lawless, I shall feel I have done my race a service.” [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocating for justice and legal punishment of lawlessness serves humanity and protects the community. **In simple terms:** Fight injustice and protect all citizens. Key Takeaway Stand up for justice. Themes justice activism human rights Mood determined hopeful Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - civil rights activism - community organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts civil rights legal reform social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What can you do today to promote justice? - How do you inspire others to demand fairness? A Different Perspective Legal change can be slow and face resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Arouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arouse/) [Arouse Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arouse-conscience-5574308/) [Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-american-501352/) [Contribute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribute/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Demand Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand-justice-409858/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Justice Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice-citizen-5574307/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawless/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Proving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proving/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Toward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toward/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [We respect the individual conscience of every American on the painful issue of abortion, but believe as a matter of law that this decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/we-respect-the-individual-conscience-of-every-american-on-the-painful/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“In the old Republican days the subject of slavery and of the saving of the Union made appeals to the consciences and liberty-loving instincts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-harrison/in-the-old-republican-days-the-subject-of-slavery-and-of-the-saving/) [Benjamin Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-harrison/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [I call on the international community to be fair to the Iraqi people. My position is that we respect international resolutions but in return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-chalabi/i-call-on-the-international-community-to-be-fair-to-the-iraqi-people/) [Ahmed Chalabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-chalabi/) > [I am a judge born, raised, and proud of being a Jew. The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/i-am-a-judge-born-raised-and-proud-of-being-a-jew-the-demand-for/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [I would think a lot more would be done to demand justice, to demand that officials in Belgrade have a serious investigation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-walker/i-would-think-a-lot-more-would-be-done-to-demand-justice-to-demand/) [William Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-walker/) > [Bulls can do nothing to demand justice. They can only defend themselves as best they can in a fight with a pre-determined ending and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/bulls-can-do-nothing-to-demand-justice-they-can-only-defend/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [Power at its best is love implementing the demand of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/power-at-its-best-is-love-implementing-the-demand-of-justice/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Writing is the only way I know to demand justice from an uncaring universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/writing-is-the-only-way-i-know-to-demand-justice-from-an-uncaring/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [If this country can demand justice for someone like George Floyd, then we can certainly demand justice for Ashli Babbitt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-taylor-greene/if-this-country-can-demand-justice-for-someone-like-george-floyd-then/) [Marjorie Taylor Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-taylor-greene/) > [I just want to remind people that the task of those who support reproductive rights and reproductive justice didn't change based on who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/i-just-want-to-remind-people-that-the-task-of-those-who-support/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [When the initial effort of political and business leaders to influence public opinion on an issue is to threaten rather than to engage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/when-the-initial-effort-of-political-and-business-leaders-to/) [Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/) > [The more words we are allowed to take, the freer we become. If our mouth is banned, then we attempt to assert ourselves through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herta-m-ller/the-more-words-we-are-allowed-to-take-the-freer-we-become-if-our/) [Herta Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herta-m-ller/) > [“Perversion is just another form of art. It's like painting or drawing or sculpting. Except instead of paint, us perverts use sex as our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-stunich/perversion-is-just-another-form-of-art-it-s-like-painting-or-drawing/) [C.M. Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/) > [In song the same rule applies as in dramatic verse: the meaning must yield itself, or yield itself sufficiently to arouse the attention and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-song-the-same-rule-applies-as-in-dramatic-verse-the-meaning-must/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) ## More by Ida B. Wells > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The white man’s victory soon became complete by fraud, violence, intimidation and murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-white-man-s-victory-soon-became-complete-by-fraud-violence/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Lynching is color line murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/lynching-is-color-line-murder/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Although lynchings have steadily increased in number and barbarity during the last twenty years, there has been no single effort put forth by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/although-lynchings-have-steadily-increased-in-number-and-barbarity/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [In slave times the Negro was kept subservient and submissive by the frequency and severity of the scourging, but, with freedom, a new system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/in-slave-times-the-negro-was-kept-subservient-and-submissive-by-the/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [There is nothing we can do about the lynching now, as we are out-numbered and without arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/there-is-nothing-we-can-do-about-the-lynching-now-as-we-are-out/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The appeal to the white man's pocket has ever been more effectual than all the appeals ever made to his conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-appeal-to-the-white-man-s-pocket-has-ever-been-more-effectual/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-people-must-know-before-they-can-act-and-there-is-no-educator-to/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The Afro-American is not a bestial race. If this work can contribute in any way towards proving this, and at the same time arouse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-afro-american-is-not-a-bestial-race-if-this-work-can-contribute/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [I had an instinctive feeling that the people who have little or no school training should have something coming into their homes weekly which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/i-had-an-instinctive-feeling-that-the-people-who-have-little-or-no/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Thus lynch law held sway in the far West until civilization spread into the Territories and the orderly processes of law took its place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/thus-lynch-law-held-sway-in-the-far-west-until-civilization-spread/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [Virtue knows no color line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/virtue-knows-no-color-line/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The doors of churches, hotels, concert halls and reading rooms are alike closed against the Negro as a man, but every place is open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-doors-of-churches-hotels-concert-halls-and-reading-rooms-are/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [The alleged menace of universal suffrage having been avoided by the absolute suppression of the negro vote, the spirit of mob murder should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-alleged-menace-of-universal-suffrage-having-been-avoided-by-the/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [I am only a mouthpiece through which to tell the story of lynching and I have told it so often that I know it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/i-am-only-a-mouthpiece-through-which-to-tell-the-story-of-lynching/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) [Explore all 40 Ida B. Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [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/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If this work can contribute in any way toward proving this, and at the same time arouse the conscience of the American people to a demand for justice to every citizen, and punishment by law for the lawless, I shall feel I have done my race a service.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ida B. Wells" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-toward-proving-this-and-at-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-toward-proving-this-and-at-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/ida-b-wells-16137_american_if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-t_3137352.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If this work can contribute in any way toward proving this, and at the same time arouse the conscience of…” — Ida B. Wells", "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": "Ida B. Wells", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If this work can contribute in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-toward-proving-this-and-at-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/if-this-work-can-contribute-in-any-way-toward-proving-this-and-at-the/#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 } } ] } ```