Faces Quote by John Henrik Clarke
“We will have taken one giant step forward when we face this reality: Powerful people never teach powerless people how to take their power away from them.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: “Power and Oppression” at University of California, 1975
True progress occurs when the powerful stop teaching the powerless how to surrender their power.
In simple terms: Power should not be used to oppress.
Key Takeaway
Empower marginalized voices.
Themes
social justice
power dynamics
education
activism
Mood
determined
hopeful
Type
activist
philosophical
When to use this quote
- community organizing
- policy reform
- grassroots movements
Key Concepts
empowerment
critical pedagogy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we teach power responsibly?
- What are effective ways to empower the powerless?
A Different Perspective
Power structures are complex and resist change.
![“I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with [my wife] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and I just had such a strong reaction to the prayer. And I was really emotionally - I felt really grounded at that time. And so to be in this prayer and the imam is doing the prayer in…” quote by Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d31/mahershala-ali-6687_attention_i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with_3083.jpg)
