In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. James Baldwin, 18. Its not the load that breaks you down; its the way you carry it. Sometimes, I am also identified as a civil rights leader or a human rights activist. Let us remember all our heroes who have left us while saving our lives and our country. You really can change the world if you care enough. Marian Wright Edelman, activist for childrens rights, 71. I rise. Save Article. Some say the first Memorial Day took place on May 1, 1865, when a large group of recently freed African Americans held a parade in Charleston, South Carolina, to honor fallen Union soldiers . This article is written by Gautam Gayan. They want an America as good as its promise. Barbara Jordan, U.S. congresswoman, lawyer, educator and leader during the Civil Rights Movement, 45. "Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.". Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman, former enslaved American abolitionist, political activist and one of the most famous figures on the Underground Railroad in the 19th century, 43. Im not worried about that. Only a great character can make a great man, not the color of his skin, not his religion nor his sexual orientation. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Thy claim it as their own and none can keep it from them. We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. I felt that one had better die fighting against injustice than to die like a dog or rat in a trap. Vantage Circle. The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomerys buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence of the Montgomery movement; one elderly woman summed it up for the rest. As black women, were always given these seemingly devastating experiences experiences that could absolutely break us. Maybe you're considering a summer cookout with the family (star-spangled Memorial Day desserts for the win! "That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.". Memorial Day Clipart Png Images 75. Black History Month must be more than just a month of remembrance; it should be a tribute to our history and reminder of the work that lies in the months and years ahead. $4.00. Go to work in the morn of a new creationuntil you havereached the height of self-progress, and from that pinnacle bestow upon the world a civilization of your own. For "Marines" Version: + 5 Files (in Color, White and Black) The product file contains 4 formats for each product: SVG, DXF, EPS & PNG. Were bosses, and thats what I consider feminism: female hustlers. It is a historical truth. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), why Black History Month shouldnt be a single month, 31 Surprising Food Facts Youll Want to Know, 52 Best Books by Black Authors Youll Want to Know About, 15 Podcasts from LGBTQ+ Creators to Add to Your List, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. It marks their journey in U.S History. 25 Memorial Day Quotes from famous thinkers throughout the ages. The time is always right to do what is right. The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression. W.E.B. 1. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. Pay tribute to freedom fighters with these inspiring words. 58. Gilbert K. Chesterton, English writer. 6. The New Black doesnt blame others for our issues. I rise. I swear to the Lord I still cant see why democracy means everybody but me. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. "In war, using their native language, they . Raise a ruckus and make a change. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter. Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world theyve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Its important for young people to know that they are made the way they are made and theyre beautiful and thats how theyre supposed to be. I believe in human beings and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color. Malcolm X, political activist and human rights activist who was an advocate for Black empowerment until his assassination in 1965, 17. Then when you know better, do better. I stand for Gods side. Bob Marley, 20th-century singer, songwriter and musician who was an advocate of Pan-Africanism, 35. You cant save the people if you dont serve the people. Cornel West, philosopher, political activist and social critic, 5. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it. According to Blight, Hampton Park, named after Confederate General Wade Hampton, replaced the gravesite at the Martyrs of the Race Course, and the graves were reinterred in the 1880s at a national cemetery in Beaufort, S.C. 2 Lee Greenwood. Boldness, brilliance, and resilience. The work of honoring the dead began right away all over the country, and several American towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. During the early 20th century the occassion has been extended to recognize all Americans who have sacrificed their life during military conflict. Today we honor you, salute you for defending our country and our freedom. Its important for us to also understand that the phrase Black Lives Matter simply refers to the notion that theres a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed. But Malcolm remade the menace inherent in that name into something mysticalBlack Power; Black Is Beautiful; Its a Black thing; you wouldnt understand. Ta-Nehisi Coates, author and journalist, 69. I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history. I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.". We need to talk about these things in order for them to change. Dave Chapelle, actor, comedian and showrunner. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering. Im a Black woman every day, and Im not confused about that. Racism isnt born, folks, its taught. Yet, reacting to every incident, real or imagined, is crippling, tiring, and ultimately counterproductive. Condoleezza Rice, I suffered first as a child from discrimination, poverty So I think it was a natural follow from that that I should use my camera to speak for people who are unable to speak for themselves. Gordon Parks, I knew then, and I know now, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. Claudette Colvin, When were talking about diversity, its not a box to check. Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me. Muhammad Ali, Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us. But I am still first and foremost in search of freedom. Harry Belafonte, singer, songwriter, activist and actor, 28. Its beyond me. About 50 years after the Civil War ended, someone at the United Daughters of the Confederacy asked the Ladies Memorial Association of Charleston to confirm that the May 1, 1865, tribute occurred, and received a reply from one S.C. Beckwith: I regret that I was unable to gather any official information in answer to this. Whether Beckwith actually knew about the tribute or not, Blight argues, the exchange illustrates how white Charlestonians suppressed from memory this founding. A 1937 book also incorrectly stated that James Redpath singlehandedly organized the tribute when in reality it was a group effort and that it took place on May 30, when it actually took place on May 1. Here are more amazing Black poets to know about. Here men endured that a nation might live." "An ideal is an unselfish aspiration. Morgan Freeman stirred a lot of controversy back in 2005 when he called the Black History Month ridiculous. The raw, unfiltered and untouched soul we have cannot be touched. Solange Knowles, singer, songwriter and actress, 40. I . While the pain caused can never be erased, we can still learn from our past mistakes and make sure to never repeat them again. We are the ones weve been waiting for. Civil war photographs, 1861-1865, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Im Black, and Im proud! James Brown, singer, songwriter and record producer, considered the Godfather of Soul and the originator of funk music. There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made. True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. Memorial Day isn't just about honoring veterans, its honoring those who lost their lives. 21 Color SVG Files * 21 Color DXF Files * 21 Color PNG Files * 21 Color EPS File. But what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly. Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.". The ceremony that took place in Arlington National Cemetery that day has been considered the first official Memorial Day celebration. This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception. With the choices we make each day, we are perpetually creating history in the present moment, and that is an inspiration. It's a chance to honor black people's triumphs, as well as their struggles and battle for equality. It is compassion. 80+ Black History Month Quotes will help you honor the black men and women in your workplace. Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Short Memorial Quotes. You might not know any bigots. Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.". You just communicate that in the way you live your life. Angela Bassett, What Im really praying is that we, as a people, understand that we are interdependent upon each other. Happy Memorial Day. I had no idea that history was being made. The struggles within yourselfthe invisible, inevitable battles inside all of usthats where its at. Jesse Owens, Olympic champion. The innovation. I would also like to be thought of as a complex, three-dimensional, flesh-and-blood human being with a rich storehouse of experiences, much like everyone else yet unique in my own way, much like everyone else. Coretta Scott King, author, activist and civil rights leader in the 1960s who is known as the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement, 65. One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings. My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of any people anywhere. These Memorial Day Quotes Help Us Remember and Honor Those We've Lost. How have we gotten so silly, I wonder. I rise. Maya Angelou, If you fall behind, run faster. Paul Tsongas. 35 Quotes for Black History Month. America is hope. Memorial Day. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela, politician and South African anti-apartheid activist who was elected the first president of South Africa, 11. To celebrate Black history is to celebrate American history, which is why Black History Month shouldnt be a single month. My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. As Amanda Gorman, the youngest poet laureate ever to speak at a presidential inauguration, so eloquently stated, For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. He Was Fatally Beaten by Memphis Police Now People Around the World Are Sharing #SunsetsForTyre in His Honor, 41 Daughter Quotes That Will Touch and Melt Your Heart, Viola Davis On The Privilege of Being Yourself, Michael Jordans Most Powerful Life Lessons For When You Feel Like a Failure, 5 Daily Habits to Steal from Beyonce, Including Her Powerful Trick for Loving Her Flaws, 20 Most Inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. A beautiful part of our heritage . The idea behind his statement was that black people dont need a separate history celebration since all of it is part of American History. 32. Diversity is not about how we differ. I just am. Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public. Cornel West, philosopher, political activist and social critic, 24. Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. If one link of the chain is broken, the chain is broken. Anna Julia Cooper, Race is a constant factor in American life. Good Housekeeping. By Celia Fernandez. 5. 7. And its either going to work for you, or its going to work against you. Nowadays, Memorial Day honors veterans of all wars, but its roots are in Americas deadliest conflict, the Civil War. I knew there was a history that accompanied my skin color, and my parents taught me to be proud of it. By Tara Reed Designs. Learn More: 7 Ways To Celebrate Black History Month At Work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Stop talking about it. Heres a list of Black-owned businesses to support right now (and all year long). Apart from being a passionate content creator for HR services and employee engagement, Gautam is a theatre enthusiast, an avid reader and an aspiring poet. "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in . I rise. Courage is contagious. From an Irish headstone". Fashion can be used as a cultural translator and a tool against colonization; it re-establishes the balance between symbols, stories and different worlds through style. Stella Jean, fashion designer, 85. Youve got to learn to leave the table when loves no longer being served. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.". If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow. Lynnette Nicholas is a regular contributor to the Culture section on RD.com. It takes a lot of courage, strength, and audacity to serve the country day in and day out without caring about your own life. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Frederick Douglass, American social reformer, abolitionist, statesman and a national leader in the abolitionist movement in the late 19th century, 64. Find & Download Free Graphic Resources for Memorial Day. I have a two-year-old son. I rise. The innovation. Im not quite sure what freedom is, but I know damn well what it aint. Forty CRPF personnel were killed on February 14, 2019, when their convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in J&K's Pulwama district. They live on forever in the hearts and minds . To understand the importance of shared history, everyone must recognize and empathize with the pains, sufferings, success, and progress of the Black community. Vantage Circle. We get our noses blown off. Erykah Badu, I dont do Black music. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people. Bettmann. Children holding hands, walking with the wind. When I look at the future, its so bright it burns my eyes. Friendly reminder that you dont have to say the n word to be racist. "Future years will never know the seething hell and the black infernal background, the countless minor scenes and interiors of the secession war; and it is best they should not . "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." Nathan Hale. "The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.". It goes on living and working when science has dealt it what should be its death blow. Paul Laurence Dunbar, American poet, novelist and leading literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance, 53. American flags with the text REMEMBER & HONOR against a black background. We are the ones weve been waiting for. I dont know what that word means. On this day, the people of the nation remember to honor and mourn these fallen soldiers. No one benefits from racism. Thurgood Marshall, A people without the knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots. 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