--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The last struggle for our rights, the…" description: "\"The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our civilization, is entirely with ourselves.\" — William Wells Brown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg" --- # The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our… ![“The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our civilization, is entirely with ourselves.” quote by William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg) > “The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our civilization, is entirely with ourselves.” [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The fight for rights and civilization is an internal battle; we must overcome our own flaws first. **In simple terms:** Our biggest battles are within ourselves. Key Takeaway Confront personal biases to advance society. Themes justice civilization self‑reflection Mood serious hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Personal prejudice - political activism - education reform Key Concepts Morality identity collective progress Questions to Reflect On - What internal barriers hold you back? - How can personal growth affect societal change? A Different Perspective External oppression also demands collective action beyond self‑work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The last great struggle for our rights; the battle for our own civilization, is entirely with ourselves, and the problem is to be solved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-great-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-own/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-the-battle-for-civilization-comes-down-to-the-wimps-versus-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [You can't leave civilization behind entirely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-benedict/you-can-t-leave-civilization-behind-entirely/) [Dirk Benedict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-benedict/) > [No one who passively endures an injustice against himself has the material in him to struggle for the rights of others. The one who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/no-one-who-passively-endures-an-injustice-against-himself-has-the/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) > [The chance to own a home; chance to own an education; chance to get access to capital. This is the real civil rights battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/the-chance-to-own-a-home-chance-to-own-an-education-chance-to-get/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [In the struggle for the rights of the poor in Central America and other places where globalization is bringing its negative effects, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gumbleton/in-the-struggle-for-the-rights-of-the-poor-in-central-america-and/) Thomas Gumbleton > [I hope we don't have to keep going back over the same territory and winning the same rights over and over again. The battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-hope-we-don-t-have-to-keep-going-back-over-the-same-territory-and/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I believe public education is the new civil rights battle and I support charter schools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cuomo/i-believe-public-education-is-the-new-civil-rights-battle-and-i/) [Andrew Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cuomo/) > [“I've always believed if you're involved even in a very small struggle - in some sort of infinity in a grain of sand -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-nichols/i-ve-always-believed-if-you-re-involved-even-in-a-very-small-struggle/) [John Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-nichols/) > [Well, we definitely need a strong and clear and assertive America. That's for sure. But you've always got to build alliances. And so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/well-we-definitely-need-a-strong-and-clear-and-assertive-america-that/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them. Operations of thought are cavalry charges in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/civilization-advances-by-extending-the-number-of-important-operations/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Only great and general battles can produce great results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/only-great-and-general-battles-can-produce-great-results/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [“Which people take the time to care for their souls, these days? I reckon not many. But...hear this: I think that maybe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/which-people-take-the-time-to-care-for-their-souls-these-days-i/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) ## More by William Wells Brown > [This is called 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'; it is called the 'asylum of the oppressed,' and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/this-is-called-the-land-of-the-free-and-the-home-of-the-brave-it-is/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [People don't follow titles, they follow courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/people-don-t-follow-titles-they-follow-courage/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [When this boy was brought to Dr. Young, his name being William, the same as mine, my mother was ordered to change mine to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/when-this-boy-was-brought-to-dr-young-his-name-being-william-the-same/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Someone must show that the Afro-American race is more sinned against than sinning, and it seems to have fallen to me to do so.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/someone-must-show-that-the-afro-american-race-is-more-sinned-against/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [The duty I owe to the slave, to truth, and to God, demands that I should use my pen and tongue so long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-duty-i-owe-to-the-slave-to-truth-and-to-god-demands-that-i-should/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Though slavery is thought, by some, to be mild in Missouri, when compared with the cotton, sugar and rice growing states, yet no part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/though-slavery-is-thought-by-some-to-be-mild-in-missouri-when/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [The last great struggle for our rights; the battle for our own civilization, is entirely with ourselves, and the problem is to be solved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-great-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-own/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [All I demand for the black man is, that the white people shall take their heels off his neck, and let him have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/all-i-demand-for-the-black-man-is-that-the-white-people-shall-take/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [Despotism increases in severity with the number of despots; the responsibility is more divided, and the claims are more numerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/despotism-increases-in-severity-with-the-number-of-despots-the/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [I would have the Constitution torn in shreds and scattered to the four winds of heaven. Let us destroy the Constitution and build on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-would-have-the-constitution-torn-in-shreds-and-scattered-to-the/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [I was not only hunting for my liberty, but also hunting for my name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/i-was-not-only-hunting-for-my-liberty-but-also-hunting-for-my-name/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) [Explore all 12 William Wells Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our civilization, is entirely with ourselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Wells Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-civilization-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-civilization-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/william-wells-brown-37419_adversity_the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-bat_418807.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The last struggle for our rights, the battle for our civilization, is entirely with ourselves.” — William Wells Brown", "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": "William Wells Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The last struggle for our rights,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-civilization-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/the-last-struggle-for-our-rights-the-battle-for-our-civilization-is/#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 } } ] } ```