Diversity Quotes - Page 36

• The recognized achievements of some Negroes, despite rigid racial barriers, indicate that society by its prejudices may be depriving itself of valuable contributions from many others. It is now doubtful whether America can afford the luxury of such a waste of human resources.

  Kenneth Clark

  Luxury, America, Justice

  Kenneth B. Clark (1988). “Prejudice and Your Child”, p.61, Wesleyan University Press

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• The dark ghettos are social, political, educational and-above all-economic colonies. Their inhabitants are subject peoples, victims of the greed, cruelty, insensitivity, guilt, and fear of their masters.

  Kenneth Clark

  Educational, Ghetto, Dark

  Kenneth B. Clark (1989). “Dark Ghetto: Dilemmas of Social Power”, p.11, Wesleyan University Press

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• The favorite device of the devil, ancient and modern, is to force a human being into a more or less artificial class, accuse the class of unnamed and unnameable sin, and then damn any individual in the alleged class, however innocent he may be.

  W. E. B. Du Bois

  Class, Justice, Devil

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• Cannot the nation that has absorbed ten million foreigners into its political life without catastrophe absorb ten million Negro Americans into that same political life at less cost than their unjust and illegal exclusion will involve?

  W. E. B. Du Bois

  Justice, Political, Exclusion

  W.E.B. Du Bois, Bob Blaisdell (2013). “W. E. B. Du Bois: Selections from His Writings”, p.66, Courier Corporation

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• I believe in Liberty for all men: the space to stretch their arms and their souls; the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine, and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color; thinking, dreaming, working as they will in a kingdom of beauty and love.

  W. E. B. Du Bois

  Dream, Believe, Sunshine

  W. E. B. Du Bois (2010). “Darkwater: The Givens Collection”, p.31, Simon and Schuster

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• I believe in pride of race and lineage and self: in pride of self so deep as to scorn injustice to other selves.

  W. E. B. Du Bois

  Believe, Pride, Race

  W. E. B. Du Bois (2012). “Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil”, p.1, Courier Corporation

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• This the American black man knows: his fight here is a fight to the finish. Either he dies or wins. If he wins it will be by no subterfuge or evasion of amalgamation . He will enter modern civilization here in America as a black man on terms of perfect and unlimited equality with any white man, or he will enter not at all. Either extermination root and branch, or absolute equality. There can be no compromise. This is the last great battle of the west.

  W. E. B. Du Bois

  Fighting, Men, Winning

  "Black Reconstruction in America: Toward a History of the Part Which Black Folk Played in the Attempt to Reconstruct Democracy in America, 1860-1880".

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• Men of all social stations live together: they are equal in their desires, yet vary in their methods; they are equal in their passions, yet different in their intelligence; that is their nature-given vitality.

  Xunzi

  Passion, Men, Justice

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• A man's behavior is the index of the man, and his discourse is the index of his understanding.

  Ali ibn Abi Talib

  Men, Justice, Understanding

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• Some white people are so accustomed to operating at a competitive advantage that when the playing field is level, they feel handicapped.

  Nathan McCall

  White, People, Justice

  Nathan McCall (2011). “Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America”, p.352, Vintage

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• In the realm of culture in America, white European culture has held the floor for centuries; just as with any one-sided conversation, a balance can only be achieved if the speaker who has dominated speaks less and listens more.

  David Mura

  America, Speak Less, White

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• Racism and sexism are not "problems" or "topics." They are ways of defining reality and living our lives that most of us learned along with learning how to tie our shoes and how to drink from a cup.

  Paula Rothenberg

  Reality, Ties, Shoes

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• People who claw their way to the top are not likely to find very much wrong with the system that enabled them to rise.

  Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

  People, Justice, Way

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• Ugly deeds are taught by ugly deeds.

  Sophocles

  Justice, Deeds, Ugly

  David Grene, Sophocles (1959). “Sophocles”, [Chicago] : University of Chicago Press

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• Unity in variety is the plan of the universe.

  Swami Vivekananda

  Justice, Unity, Plans

  Swami Vivekananda, Swami Adiswarananda (2006). “Vivekananda, World Teacher: His Teachings on the Spiritual Unity of Humankind”, p.53, SkyLight Paths Publishing

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• Race is an invention, not a noticeable genetic presence, and cultural traits are brute concoctions of the social sciences.

  Gerald Vizenor

  Race, Justice, Social

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• I know this was the soil on which I was born: but I have nothing to glorify this as my country. I have no pride of ancestry to point back to. Our forefathers did not come here as did the Pilgrim fathers, in search of a place where they could enjoy civil and religious liberties.

  Augustus Washington

  Country, Religious, Father

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• Diversity in counsel, unity in command.

  Cyrus the Great

  Army, Unity, Command

  "Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus". Book by Michael A. Roberto, 2005.

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• Life would be vanilla ice cream without 31 flavors of individuality.

  Heather King

  Ice Cream, Individuality, Would Be

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• By my love and my hope I beseech you - do not forsake hero in your soul!

  Zoroaster

  Hero, Soul, Forsake

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• The term Hispanic, coined by technomarketing experts and by the designers of political campaigns, homogenizes our cultural diversity (Chicanos, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans become indistinguishable), avoids our indigenous cultural heritage and links us directly with Spain. Worse yet, it possesses connotations of upward mobility and political obedience.

  Guillermo Gomez-Pena

  Political, Spain, Experts

  Guillermo Gomez-Pena (1993). “Warrior for Gringostroika: Essays, Performance Texts, and Poetry”

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• The simple act of recognizing diversity in corporate life helps us to connect the great variety of gifts that people bring to the work and service of the corporation.

  Max De Pree

  Simple, People, Corporations

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• A whale is as unique as a cactus. But don't ask a whale to survive Death Valley. We all have special gifts. Where we use them and how determines whether we actually complete something.

  Max De Pree

  Unique, Whales, Special

  Max De Pree (1987). “Leadership is an Art”, Doubleday Business

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• When we think about the people with whom we work, people on whom we depend, we can see that without each individual, we are not going to go very far as a group. By ourselves, we suffer serious limitations. Together we can be something wonderful.

  Max De Pree

  Thinking, Together We Can, People

  Max De Pree (1987). “Leadership is an Art”, Doubleday Business

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• In addition to all of the ratios and goals and parameters and bottom lines, it is fundamental that leaders endorse a concept of persons. This begins with an understanding of the diversity of people's gifts and talents and skills. Recognizing diversity gives us the chance to provide meaning, fulfillment and purpose, which are not to be relegated solely to private life any more than such things as love, beauty and joy. The art of leadership lies in polishing and liberating and enabling those gifts.

  Max De Pree

  Art, Lying, Love Is

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