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Quote by Ernest Gaines

Work

A Lesson Before Dying

This novel delves into the profound impact of racial prejudice and the resilience of the human spirit through the story of a young man facing execution. The narrative is set in the American South and centers on a teacher's mission to instill dignity in a man destined for death. more

Author

Ernest Gaines
Ernest Gaines

Ernest Gaines is an American author known for his profound insights into racial and social issues. His works often set in the black community of Louisiana, explore themes of racial relations, poverty, and education. more

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“The public school system is not about educating black children. Never has been. Inner-city schools are about social control. Period. They’re operated as holding pens—miniature jails, really. It’s only when black children start breaking out of their pens and bothering white people that society even pays any attention to the issue of whether these children are being educated.”

“In short, Europe’s colonization of Africa had nothing to do with differences between European and African peoples themselves, as white racists assume. Rather, it was due to accidents of geography and biogeography—in particular, to the continents’ different areas, axes, and suites of wild plant and animal species. That is, the different historical trajectories of Africa and Europe stem ultimately from differences in real estate.”