--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let's concede that we have decided to let…" description: "\"Let's concede that we have decided to let our children grow up in two separate nations, and lead two separate kinds of lives. If, on the other hand, we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/jonathan-kozol-2747_activist_let-s-concede-that-we-have-decided-to-le_174099.png" --- # Let's concede that we have decided to let our children… ![“Let's concede that we have decided to let our children grow up in two separate nations, and lead two separate kinds of lives. If, on the other hand, we have the courage to rise to this challenge to name what's happening within our inner-city schools, then we also need the courage to be activist…” quote by Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/jonathan-kozol-2747_activist_let-s-concede-that-we-have-decided-to-le_174099.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/jonathan-kozol-2747_activist_let-s-concede-that-we-have-decided-to-le_174099.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/jonathan-kozol-2747_activist_let-s-concede-that-we-have-decided-to-le_174099.png) > “Let's concede that we have decided to let our children grow up in two separate nations, and lead two separate kinds of lives. If, on the other hand, we have the courage to rise to this challenge to name what's happening within our inner-city schools, then we also need the courage to be activist and go out and fight like hell to change it.” [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges courage to confront systemic issues in inner‑city schools and to become active in demanding change. **In simple terms:** Take bold action to fix failing school systems. Key Takeaway Actively challenge and reform education inequities. Themes education activism justice courage Mood urgent hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - school reform - policy advocacy - grassroots organizing Key Concepts systemic inequality community empowerment Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can you take to support inner‑city schools? - Who can you partner with for systemic change? A Different Perspective Change requires resources and collective will, not just individual courage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Inner city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-city/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [Once one concedes that a single world government is not necessary, then where does one logically stop at the permissibility of separate states? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-one-concedes-that-a-single-world-government-is-not-necessary/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The implications of the transfer of full sovereignty from separate nations to a World Organization. . .Political unification in some sort of World Government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/the-implications-of-the-transfer-of-full-sovereignty-from-separate/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [I'd declare all the world's resources as a common heritage of all the world's people and get them to join and become one nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/i-d-declare-all-the-world-s-resources-as-a-common-heritage-of-all-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [India is a continent and should be divided into separate nations. There is no need for a single government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-annadurai/india-is-a-continent-and-should-be-divided-into-separate-nations/) C. N. Annadurai > [Teaching high school in an inner-city school is not an easy task. Every teacher is responsible for 150 teenagers. The amount of work is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-danza/teaching-high-school-in-an-inner-city-school-is-not-an-easy-task/) [Tony Danza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-danza/) > [When the students were asked to identify their race on a pretest questionnaire, that simple act was sufficient to prime them with all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-the-students-were-asked-to-identify-their-race-on-a-pretest/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The legacy of American socialism is our blighted inner cities, dysfunctional inner city school and broken black families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-parker/the-legacy-of-american-socialism-is-our-blighted-inner-cities/) [Star Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/star-parker/) > [I'd like to do something for inner-city schools and education for young people because it's constantly being cut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-elgort/i-d-like-to-do-something-for-inner-city-schools-and-education-for/) [Ansel Elgort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-elgort/) > [The soft bigotry of low expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-soft-bigotry-of-low-expectations/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [As much as politicians, any politicians, Democrat or Republican, are saying they're trying to help the schools, it's hard because our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-elgort/as-much-as-politicians-any-politicians-democrat-or-republican-are/) [Ansel Elgort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-elgort/) > [More than 50 percent of kids who play an instrument go on to college, yet music education programs at the inner city public schools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-clemons/more-than-50-percent-of-kids-who-play-an-instrument-go-on-to-college/) [Clarence Clemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-clemons/) > [My vision is that schools need to be community centers. Schools need to be open 12, 13, 14 hours a day six, seven days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-duncan/my-vision-is-that-schools-need-to-be-community-centers-schools-need/) [Arne Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-duncan/) > [It's unfortunate that sometimes in schools, there's this need to have things quantified and graded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/it-s-unfortunate-that-sometimes-in-schools-there-s-this-need-to-have/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [How our governments need standards of integrity! How our communities need yardsticks to measure decency! How our neighborhoods need models of beauty and cleanliness!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/how-our-governments-need-standards-of-integrity-how-our-communities/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [We've made a huge effort globally and in the US, in getting kids jobs. This is one piece. The South Bronx and inner-city schools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/we-ve-made-a-huge-effort-globally-and-in-the-us-in-getting-kids-jobs/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) ## More by Jonathan Kozol > [Political struggle is the most important thing any of us can do as a citizen in a democracy; and that means the old joining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/political-struggle-is-the-most-important-thing-any-of-us-can-do-as-a/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Separate and unequal didn't work 100 years ago. It will not work today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/separate-and-unequal-didn-t-work-100-years-ago-it-will-not-work-today/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [“Unless we have the wealth to pay for private education, we are compelled by law to go to public school—and to the public school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/unless-we-have-the-wealth-to-pay-for-private-education-we-are/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [At present, black children are more segregated in their public schools than at any time since 1968. In the inner-city schools I visit, minority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/at-present-black-children-are-more-segregated-in-their-public-schools/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [“I want to correct something I told you once,' she says. 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But with 'Ordinary Resurrections,' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/savage-inequalities-was-about-school-finance-and-amazing-grace/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Discrimination is alive and soaring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/discrimination-is-alive-and-soaring/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [If you could lead through testing, the U.S. would lead the world in all education categories. When are people going to understand you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/if-you-could-lead-through-testing-the-u-s-would-lead-the-world-in-all/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [No Child Left Behind widens the gap between the races more than any piece of educational legislation I've seen in 40 years. It denies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-widens-the-gap-between-the-races-more-than-any/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [An awful lot of people come to college with this strange idea that there's no longer segregation in America's schools, that our schools are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/an-awful-lot-of-people-come-to-college-with-this-strange-idea-that/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The answers I remember longest are the ones that answer questions that I didn't think of asking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-answers-i-remember-longest-are-the-ones-that-answer-questions/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Businessmen are not in business to lose customers, and schools do not exist to free their clients from the agencies of mass persuasion. School…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/businessmen-are-not-in-business-to-lose-customers-and-schools-do-not/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) [Explore all 151 Jonathan Kozol quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## More Activist quotes > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. 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