--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If things aren't working for us, it is…" description: "\"If things aren't working for us, it is our duty to rise up.\" — Opal Tometi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg" --- # If things aren't working for us, it is our duty to rise up. ![“If things aren't working for us, it is our duty to rise up.” quote by Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg) > “If things aren't working for us, it is our duty to rise up.” [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Calls for collective action when systems fail, urging responsibility to improve conditions. **In simple terms:** Rise up when things fail. Key Takeaway Take responsibility to act for change. Themes activism responsibility justice Mood determined urgent empowering Type activist motivational When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - grassroots campaigns - personal empowerment Key Concepts social movements collective agency Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to address systemic issues? - How do you sustain motivation? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout if not paired with self‑care. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aren Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aren-working-3541927/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Duty Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty-rise-5752712/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Rise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Working Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-duty-6062152/) ## Related quotes > [Our duty is to rise in the bright daylight, openly, beating the drums. The cause for which we are ready to give our necks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladyslaw-stanislaw-reymont/our-duty-is-to-rise-in-the-bright-daylight-openly-beating-the-drums/) [Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladyslaw-stanislaw-reymont/) > [When you get on the back side of your 60s, most people aren't working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/when-you-get-on-the-back-side-of-your-60s-most-people-aren-t-working/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [When things that normally work aren't working, you have to go to something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spoelstra/when-things-that-normally-work-aren-t-working-you-have-to-go-to/) [Erik Spoelstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spoelstra/) > [This business of the working class is on its way out I think. After all, aren't I working class? I work jolly hard, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/this-business-of-the-working-class-is-on-its-way-out-i-think-after/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [“Everything works out in the end. If it looks like things aren’t working out, it’s not the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dooley/everything-works-out-in-the-end-if-it-looks-like-things-aren-t/) [Mike Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dooley/) > [It seems like the right thing to do is tackle problems other people aren't working on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-parker/it-seems-like-the-right-thing-to-do-is-tackle-problems-other-people/) [Sean Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-parker/) > [In business, when things aren't working it's time to mix it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-business-when-things-aren-t-working-it-s-time-to-mix-it-up/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Obviously, the state's responsibility should be to legislate rules for a well-ordered society. It has no right or duty to creep into the bedrooms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/obviously-the-state-s-responsibility-should-be-to-legislate-rules-for/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [Islam expect every Muslim to do this duty, and if we realise our responsibility time will come soon when we shall justify ourselves worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/islam-expect-every-muslim-to-do-this-duty-and-if-we-realise-our/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [England expects every man to do his duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/england-expects-every-man-to-do-his-duty/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [Writers and intellectuals have a duty to humanity. It is to insist that the human entity remains the primary asset in overall development; thus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/writers-and-intellectuals-have-a-duty-to-humanity-it-is-to-insist/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) ## More by Opal Tometi > [There are always groups on campus that are doing amazing things. I know when I was in college, I was a student at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/there-are-always-groups-on-campus-that-are-doing-amazing-things-i/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Let's demonstrate, illustrate, the ways in which our communities are being undermined time and time again, and make sure that the broader public and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/let-s-demonstrate-illustrate-the-ways-in-which-our-communities-are/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Being in the immigrant rights space, I've heard a lot of transactional talk with questions like, 'When will black people show up for immigrants?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/being-in-the-immigrant-rights-space-i-ve-heard-a-lot-of-transactional/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Our communities are reeling from poverty, from unemployment, from discrimination of all sorts and different interactions that they're having with the law enforcement, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/our-communities-are-reeling-from-poverty-from-unemployment-from/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Antiblack racism is not only happening in the United States. It's actually happening all across the globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/antiblack-racism-is-not-only-happening-in-the-united-states-it-s/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [I'm really looking for an agenda that looks at safety for our communities beyond policing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/i-m-really-looking-for-an-agenda-that-looks-at-safety-for-our/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [I just look back at my time in college and think about how much my community activism and my work in neighborhoods really informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/i-just-look-back-at-my-time-in-college-and-think-about-how-much-my/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Trump's racism has clearly driven his policy decisions during his first year in office - from his Muslim ban and his despicable treatment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/trump-s-racism-has-clearly-driven-his-policy-decisions-during-his/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [I have two younger brothers, and I know my parents have spoken to them about driving and interacting with police. They didn't have those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/i-have-two-younger-brothers-and-i-know-my-parents-have-spoken-to-them/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Lean into your curiosity about any issue, and there will likely be people to share a little bit more of their knowledge and insight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/lean-into-your-curiosity-about-any-issue-and-there-will-likely-be/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [We can't continue to sit on our hands and sit idly by as people are being brutalized, disenfranchised, and left out of the system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/we-can-t-continue-to-sit-on-our-hands-and-sit-idly-by-as-people-are/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Far from ending, systemic racism reinvents itself to conform to what is publically acceptable, leaving the quality of black life diminished and more permanently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/far-from-ending-systemic-racism-reinvents-itself-to-conform-to-what/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Some of us have held the hands of friends or brothers as they struggled with military and police academy recruiters, and though many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/some-of-us-have-held-the-hands-of-friends-or-brothers-as-they/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Only when the oppressed are heard can we have an honest solutions based dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/only-when-the-oppressed-are-heard-can-we-have-an-honest-solutions/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [We know that there are people in our nation, black people, who are systematically being disenfranchised in a number of spheres in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/we-know-that-there-are-people-in-our-nation-black-people-who-are/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) [Explore all 75 Opal Tometi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) ## More Duty quotes > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Is that what they teach you at the convent? That the gods demand the hearts from our bodies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/is-that-what-they-teach-you-at-the-convent-that-the-gods-demand-the/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You have a right to be sad, and a duty to move on. Only wins who wipes the tears, gather strength and move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-branco/you-have-a-right-to-be-sad-and-a-duty-to-move-on-only-wins-who-wipes/) [Augusto Branco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-branco/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Regardless of how you feel about war and peace those serving military are doing a duty for the rest of us and they're protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/regardless-of-how-you-feel-about-war-and-peace-those-serving-military/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Browse all 5,178 Duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If things aren't working for us, it is our duty to rise up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Opal Tometi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-our-duty-to-rise-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Duty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-our-duty-to-rise-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/opal-tometi-9098_duty_if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-ou_1596618.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If things aren't working for us, it is our duty to rise up.” — Opal Tometi", "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": "Opal Tometi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If things aren't working for us,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-our-duty-to-rise-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/if-things-aren-t-working-for-us-it-is-our-duty-to-rise-up/#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 } } ] } ```