Class status Quote by Jonathan Kozol
““New York City manages expertly, and with marvelous predictability, whatever it considers humanly important. Fax machines, computers, automated telephones and even messengers on bikes convey a million bits of data through Manhattan every day to guarantee that Wall Street brokers get their orders placed, confirmed, delivered, at the moment they demand. But leaking roofs cannot be fixed and books cannot be gotten into Morris High in time to meet the fall enrollment. Efficiency in educational provision for low-income children, as in health care and most other elementals of existence, is secreted and doled out by our municipalities as if it were a scarce resource. Like kindness, cleanliness and promptness of provision, it is not secured by gravity of need but by the cash, skin color and class status of the applicant.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Color of Law by Jonathan Kozol, 1995
Urban efficiency prioritizes profit over basic human needs, exposing inequality in public services.
In simple terms: Cities favor wealth over welfare.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for equitable resource distribution.
Themes
inequality
public policy
urban planning
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- education reform
- healthcare access
- housing policy
Key Concepts
socioeconomics
justice
infrastructure
Questions to Reflect On
- How can citizens demand fair services?
- What role do governments play in resource allocation?
A Different Perspective
Complex systemic change required.
