--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The day for the Negro man being a coward…" description: "\"The day for the Negro man being a coward is over.\" — James Meredith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png" --- # The day for the Negro man being a coward is over. ![“The day for the Negro man being a coward is over.” quote by James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png) > “The day for the Negro man being a coward is over.” [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The era of labeling Black men as cowards has ended; dignity and courage are recognized. **In simple terms:** Black men are no longer seen as cowards. Key Takeaway Support dignity and equality. Themes civil rights dignity history Mood determined hopeful Type activist historical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - community organizing - media representation Key Concepts social justice racial equality Questions to Reflect On - What does courage look like today? - How do we sustain momentum? A Different Perspective Progress can be uneven and contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [So the Negro race has continued, and today is the day of the Negro as far as the world is concerned. 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Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [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/) > [If I have advocated the cause of the Negro, it is not because I am a Negro, but because I am a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/if-i-have-advocated-the-cause-of-the-negro-it-is-not-because-i-am-a/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“A brave man is the coward that dares to be brave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/a-brave-man-is-the-coward-that-dares-to-be-brave/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Human misery must somewhere have a stop; there is no wind that always blows a storm; great good fortune comes to failure in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/human-misery-must-somewhere-have-a-stop-there-is-no-wind-that-always/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“...if in the heat of the dispute he insists and asks, 'Am I not the master of throwing myself out of the window?' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/if-in-the-heat-of-the-dispute-he-insists-and-asks-am-i-not-the-master/) [Baron d'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [What man is such a coward he would not rather fall once than remain forever tottering?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/what-man-is-such-a-coward-he-would-not-rather-fall-once-than-remain/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [The suffering may be moral or physical; and in my opinion it is just as absurd to call a man a coward who destroys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-suffering-may-be-moral-or-physical-and-in-my-opinion-it-is-just/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“But to die to escape from poverty or love or anything painful is not the mark of a brave man, but rather of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ross/but-to-die-to-escape-from-poverty-or-love-or-anything-painful-is-not/) [David Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ross/) > [I'll not meddle with it. It makes a man a coward: a man cannot steal but it accuseth him; a man cannot swear but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-ll-not-meddle-with-it-it-makes-a-man-a-coward-a-man-cannot-steal/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“There is a society. It’s made up of a few men who are willing to take some risks. They don’t initiate anything; they don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-a-society-it-s-made-up-of-a-few-men-who-are-willing-to-take/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that ‘all men are created equal,' and that there can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-the-negro-is-a-man-why-then-my-ancient-faith-teaches-me-that-all/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Being a Negro in America means trying to smile when you want to cry. It means trying to hold on to physical life amid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/being-a-negro-in-america-means-trying-to-smile-when-you-want-to-cry/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by James Meredith > [My momma was slick as greased lightning. She knew how to get anybody and everybody to do whatever she wanted 'em to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/my-momma-was-slick-as-greased-lightning-she-knew-how-to-get-anybody/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Nothing has been more detrimental to me than to be considered a symbol, because I never stood for any of that... The civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/nothing-has-been-more-detrimental-to-me-than-to-be-considered-a/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [There are a million Negroes in Mississippi. I think theyll take care of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/there-are-a-million-negroes-in-mississippi-i-think-theyll-take-care/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I had developed a specifically calculated plan to break the system of white supremacy. My theory was that since Mississippi was the place, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-had-developed-a-specifically-calculated-plan-to-break-the-system-of/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > ['Blacks were too scared to do anything, but they came out to greet James Meredith': That would have been the story in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/blacks-were-too-scared-to-do-anything-but-they-came-out-to-greet/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I am thankful for the strong, united response of our university community to the desecration of the James Meredith statue last year, confirming our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-am-thankful-for-the-strong-united-response-of-our-university/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Only whites were allowed by law and practice to attend the University of Mississippi - a public institution supported by public dollars. Anything public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/only-whites-were-allowed-by-law-and-practice-to-attend-the-university/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [The real problem in Mississippi is almost a complete moral breakdown. In order to move Mississippi from the bottom to the top, all we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-real-problem-in-mississippi-is-almost-a-complete-moral-breakdown/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [If black people use their resources properly, they can become as competitive as any group in society - take control of our neighborhoods, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/if-black-people-use-their-resources-properly-they-can-become-as/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Walk Against Fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/walk-against-fear/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [You gotta understand, the state of Mississippi was in rebellion. It had rebelled against the United States...Now that has been a very difficult story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/you-gotta-understand-the-state-of-mississippi-was-in-rebellion-it-had/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [I was taught to believe that the most dishonorable thing a Meredith could do was work in a white woman's kitchen and take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/i-was-taught-to-believe-that-the-most-dishonorable-thing-a-meredith/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [There are a million Negroes in Mississippi. I think they'll take care of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/there-are-a-million-negroes-in-mississippi-i-think-they-ll-take-care/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [Nothing is a bigger waste of time than regretting the past and worrying about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/nothing-is-a-bigger-waste-of-time-than-regretting-the-past-and/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) > [When it comes to my rights as an American citizen, and yours, I am a triumphalist and an absolutist. Anything less is an insult,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/when-it-comes-to-my-rights-as-an-american-citizen-and-yours-i-am-a/) [James Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) [Explore all 35 James Meredith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. 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Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) Elizabeth Tambascio > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The day for the Negro man being a coward is over.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Meredith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward-is-over/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward-is-over/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/james-meredith-18433_civil-rights_the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward_941882.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The day for the Negro man being a coward is over.” — James Meredith", "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": "James Meredith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meredith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The day for the Negro man...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward-is-over/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meredith/the-day-for-the-negro-man-being-a-coward-is-over/#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 } } ] } ```