30 Racism Quotes to Help Fight Prejudice and Injustice
Last updated on January 2nd, 2024 at 11:28 am
“Young Black Lives Matter activists are holding a colorful Stop Racism sign“, by Ivan Radic, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Racism is discrimination by an individual or a group of people against members of a particular racial or ethnic group. This kind of discrimination is characterized by prejudice, harassment, and abusive treatment towards other people because they belong to different ethnicity. The abuse can either be physical, emotional, verbal, or even mental.
Sadly, racism has been in existence for centuries. It actually dates back to the days of slavery. From the look of things, more needs to be done to fight this vice.
Rampant cases of racism have led to the formation of social movements such as Black Lives Matter dedicated to fighting racism, discrimination, and police brutality towards black people. The campaign also advocates for racial equality for black people and protests racial profiling in the United States. We have compiled these 30 racism quotes to encourage every one of us to stand up against racial discrimination in society.
Quotes About Racism
“There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race — scientifically, anthropologically.”
Toni Morrison
“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself.”
Ijeoma Oluo
“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.”
Abraham Joshua Heschel
“The best way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
John Roberts
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
Angela Y. Davis
“As long as people can be judged by the color of their skin, the problem is not solved.”
Oprah Winfrey
“People who insist on dividing the world into ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ never contemplate that they may be someone else’s ‘Them’.”
Ray A. Davis
“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.”
Muhammad Ali
“None of us is responsible for the complexion of his skin. This fact of nature offers no clue to the character or quality of the person underneath.”
Marian Anderson
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.”
“At the heart of racism is the religious assertion that God made a creative mistake when He brought some people into being.”
Friedrich Otto Hertz
“If you are tired of hearing about racism, imagine how tired some people are of experiencing it.”
Anonymous
“Racial superiority is a mere pigment of the imagination.”
Anonymous
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”
Henry David Thoreau
“Racism is a product of ignorance.”
“Prejudice is an opinion without judgment.”
Voltaire
“The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.”
Toni Morrison
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Desmond Tutu
“As long as there is racial privilege, racism will never end.”
Wayne Gerard Trotman
“Defeating racism, tribalism, intolerance and all forms of discrimination will liberate us all, victim and perpetrator alike.”
Ban Ki-moon
“Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.”
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
Desmond Tutu
“What a sad era when it is easier to smash an atom than a prejudice.”
Albert Einstein
“Denial is the heartbeat of racism.”
IBRAM X. KENDI, HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST
“The fact that we have to debate whether or not racism still exists is proof that it does.”
Anonymous
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
From these anti-racism quotes, it is clear that human beings are equal regardless of their skin color. The fight against racism requires a collective effort and the acceptance that indeed, racism is a real problem. These quotes about racism should inspire you to take a firm stand against hate and become an ambassador of love and acceptance.
If you loved reading these quotes on racism, you’d love reading our 50 Most Powerful Women Empowerment Quotes From Inspiring Women!
Nitesh Kucchal
Nitesh Kuchhal, an IIM Calcutta graduate, is more than an educator—he's a mentor. With a passion for leadership and entrepreneurship, and travel. He has explored over 20 countries. Beyond teaching, he dives into psychology and discusses social issues. Though he is not a history expert, he enjoys learning about it through books, adding a historical touch to his many interests.
