“General James Mattis reminds us that cynicism is a form of cowardice. It is also a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we tell ourselves it’s pointless, that we can’t make a difference, that we don’t matter…we’re right. But it’s worse than that. Because someone will step in to fill that void. And it’s likely this person who you will be deferring to is allied with the people and the forces that made you cynical in the first place.”
Ryan Holiday, Daily Stoic Blog
“It’s easier to quote, to rely on the wise words of others. Especially when the people you’re deferring to are such towering figures! It’s harder (and more intimidating) to venture out on your own and express your own thoughts. But how do you think those wise and true quotes from those towering figures were created in the first place? Your own experiences have value. You have accumulated your own wisdom too. Stake your claim. Put something down for the ages—in words and also in example.”
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic (Page 378)
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, CNN
On Juneteenth, Opal Lee, and Breathing Oxygen Into A Movement For Change
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865
Beyond the Quote (169/365)
When Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued the above order, he had no idea that, in establishing the Union Army’s authority over the people of Texas, he was also establishing the basis for a holiday, “Juneteenth” (“June” plus “nineteenth”), today the most popular annual celebration of emancipation from slavery in the United States.
Read More »On Juneteenth, Opal Lee, and Breathing Oxygen Into A Movement For Change11 Angie Thomas Quotes from The Hate U Give on Racial Equality and Standing Up For What’s Right
Excerpt: These 11 Angie Thomas quotes from The Hate U Give are incredibly potent and simply must be read as we continue to fight for racial equality.
Read More »11 Angie Thomas Quotes from The Hate U Give on Racial Equality and Standing Up For What’s Right
The Hate U Give [Book]
Book Overview: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
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Post(s) Inspired by this Book:
“To every kid in Georgetown and in all “the Gardens” of the world: your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter. Be roses that grow in the concrete.”
Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
“I’ve seen it happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just for being black, and all hell breaks loose. I’ve Tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there. I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down. Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.”
Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
“You can destroy wood and brick, but you can’t destroy a movement.”
Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
“I think it’ll change one day. How? I don’t know. When? I definitely don’t know. Why? Because there will always be someone ready to fight. Maybe it’s my turn. People realizing and shouting and marching and demanding. They’re not forgetting. I think that’s the most important part.”
Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give (Page 444)