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Slavery Quotes

Browse 2495 quotes about Slavery.

Slavery Quotes

“This war, disguise it as they may, is virtually nothing more or less than perpetual slavery against universal freedoms.”

May War History Universal Slavery Perpetual Disguise American Civil War

Author:Frederick Douglass

“I am an opponent of war and of war preparations and an opponent of universal military training and conscription; but entirely apart from that issue, I hold that segregation in any part of the body politic is an act of slavery and an act of war.”

War Body Issues Military Training Universal Slavery Preparation Opponents Segregation Parts Of The Body Conscription Military Training

Book:Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin

Source: Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin

“Democracy turns upon and devours itself. Universal suffrage, in theory the palladium of our liberties, becomes the assurance of our slavery. And that slavery will grow more and more abject and ignoble as the differential birth rate, the deliberate encouragement of mendicancy and the failure of popular education produce a larger and larger mass of prehensile half-wits, and so make the demagogues more and more secure.”

“I am not a 'democrat' only because 'humility' and equality are spiritual principles corrupted by the attempt to mechanize and formalize them, with the result that we get not universal smallness and humility, but universal greatness and pride, till some Orc gets hold of a ring of power--and then we get and are getting slavery.”

Spiritual Results Principles Greatness Humility Pride Universal Slavery Democrat Rings Smallness Orcs

Book:The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien

Source: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien

“One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.”

Humans Soul Belief Animal Planets One Day Universal Slavery Vegan Animal Rights Absurdity Animal Welfare Human Animal Humans And Animals

Author:Martin Luther King, Jr.

“It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls. More than 145 million of the world's children are deprived of education due to poverty, exploitation, slavery, gender discrimination, religious extremism, and corrupt governments. May Three Cups of Tea be a catalyst to bring the gift of literacy to each of those children who deserves a chance to go to school.”

“In those days, our Declaration of Independence was held sacred by all, and thought to include all; but now, to aid in the making the bondage of the negro universal and eternal, it is assailed, and sneered at, and construed, and hawked at, and torn, till, if its framers could rise from their graves, they could not at all recognize it.”

Ifs Eternal Universal Independence Slavery Sacred Aids Graves Declaration Torn Bondage Declaration Of Independence Framers

Book:Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 1: 1832-1858: Library of America #45

Source: Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 1: 1832-1858: Library of America #45

“I have simplified my politics into an utter detestation of all existing governments; and, as it is the shortest and most agreeable and summary feeling imaginable, the first moment of an universal republic would convert me into an advocate for single and uncontradicted despotism. The fact is, riches are power, and poverty is slavery all over the earth, and one sort of establishment is no better, nor worse, for a people than another.”

People Firsts Moments Facts Feelings Government Earth Politics Poverty Politician Universal Slavery Riches Republic Establishment Despotism Summary

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Lord Byron (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Lord Byron (Illustrated)

“Christianity, by introducing into Europe the truest principles of humanity, universal benevolence, and brotherly love, had happily abolished civil slavery. Let us who profess the same religion practice its precepts... by agreeing to this duty.”

Humanity Christianity Principles Practice Duty Europe Universal Slavery Introducing Benevolence Truest Brotherly Brotherly Love

Book:Memoir of the Life of Richard H. Lee, and His Correspondence with the Most Distinguished Men in America and Europe

Source: Memoir of the Life of Richard H. Lee, and His Correspondence with the Most Distinguished Men in America and Europe

“Does man's freedom consist in revolting against all laws? We say no, in so far as laws are natural, economic, and social laws, not authoritatively imposed but inherent in things, in relations, in situations, the natural development of which is expressed by those laws. We say YES if they are political and juridical laws, imposed upon men by men.”

“They maintain that only a dictatorship - their dictatorship, of course - can create the will of the people, while our answer to this is: No dictatorship can have any other aim but that of self-perpetuation, and it can beget only slavery in the people tolerating it; freedom can be created only by freedom, that is, by a universal rebellion on the part of the people and free organization of the toiling masses from the bottom up.”

People Self Courses Answers Mass Organization Universal Aim Slavery Bottom Rebellion Anarchy Dictatorship Begets Toiling

Author:Mikhail Bakunin

“It would be well for those interested to reflect whether there now exists, or ever has existed, a wealthy and civilized community in which one portion did not live on the labor of another; and whether the form in which slavery exists in the South is not but one modification of this universal condition... Let those who are interested remember that labor is the only source of wealth, and how small a portion of it, in all old and civilized countries, even the best governed, is left to those by whose labor wealth is created.”

Wells Country Would Be Remember Form Left Community Wealth Conditions Source Labor Universal Slavery South Wealthy Civilized Portions Modification

Author:John C. Calhoun

“Human beings are not property. On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women and children. And let us redouble our efforts so that the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 'no one shall be held in slavery or servitude' - ring true.”

“It is up to each and every one of us to raise our voice against crimes that deprive countless victims of their liberty, dignity and human rights. We have to work together to realize the equal rights promised to all by the United Nations Charter. And we must collectively give meaning to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that "no one shall be held in slavery or servitude"”

“Carry out the republican principle of universal suffrage, or strike it from your banners and substitute 'Freedom and Power to one half of society, and Submission and Slavery to the other.'”

Half Principles Republican Universal Slavery Strikes Substitutes Submission Banner Suffrage One Half Universal Suffrage

Book:Mistress of herself: speeches and letters of Ernestine L. Rose, early women's rights leader

Source: Mistress of herself: speeches and letters of Ernestine L. Rose, early women's rights leader

“The arc of history is longer than human vision. It bends. We abolished slavery, we granted universal suffrage. We have done hard things before. And every time it took a terrible fight between people who could not imagine changing the rules, and those who said, 'We already did. We have made the world new.' The hardest part will be to convince yourself of the possibilities, and hang on.”

People World Humans Made Said Hard Done Fighting Vision Imagine Possibility Terrible Universal Slavery Hardest Granted Convince Arcs Hard Things Suffrage Universal Suffrage

Author:Barbara Kingsolver