Achievement Quote by Walter E. Williams
“Diversity worship and multiculturalism are currency and cause for celebration at just about any college. If one is black, brown, yellow or white, the prevailing thought is that he should take pride and celebrate that fact even though, just as in the case of my eye color, he had nothing to do with it. The multiculturist and diversity crowd see race as an achievement. In my book, race might be an achievement, worthy of considerable celebration, only if a person was born white and through his effort and diligence became black.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The State of the Nation, 1995
Celebrating identity without effort can diminish personal responsibility and merit.
In simple terms: Pride should stem from achievement, not mere birth.
Key Takeaway
Value effort over inherited traits.
Themes
individualism
meritocracy
identity politics
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
controversial
When to use this quote
- education policy
- workplace diversity
- public discourse
- personal development
Key Concepts
social contract
cultural criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does celebrating heritage affect motivation?
- What role should society play in recognizing effort?
A Different Perspective
May ignore systemic barriers that affect opportunity.
![“He[Michael Jackson] had a joy in being alive. There was a joy you felt of him on the stage and making us not just feel good but pushing us against ourselves with the "Man in the Mirror," looking at ourselves critically, "Black or White," what does it mean to get caught in a color as opposed to a…” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4df/cornel-west-708_alive_he-michael-jackson-had-a-joy-in-being-al_777384.jpg)
