Activism Quote by Saul D. Alinsky
““To face the days ahead we must ask two questions: first, "Where are we?" and second, "Where do we go from here?" We Americans seem to have forgotten where we came from, we don't know where we are, and we fear where we may be going. We are a scene of frenetic fears, confusion, and madness. Scared New World. Life has become a catalogue of crises: the Urban Crisis, the Race Crisis, the Campus Crisis, the Poverty Crisis, the World Crisis, the Crisis of a Free and Open Society, and underneath it all our personal crises of whether to live or drop out. We are bombarded with so-called studies and reports on the consequences of urbanization, the population explosion, the changing character of our educational system, our values, our family life, our relationships with one another, or rather our lack of relationships, the ever increasing alienation of the individual from his society, his inability to act on those issues that are vital to him, his family, and his community.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Address, United States, 1990s
We must first understand our current condition and then decide our future direction, confronting widespread fear, crisis, and alienation.
In simple terms: Know where we are and choose where to go.
Key Takeaway
Identify reality, then act.
Themes
identity
crisis
society
action
alienation
Mood
concerned
reflective
Type
political
motivational
When to use this quote
- community organizing
- policy reform
- personal reflection
- education initiatives
Key Concepts
civic engagement
historical consciousness
collective responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- What is the most urgent crisis you face?
- How can you reconnect with community?
A Different Perspective
Complex problems cannot be solved by simple answers alone.
