George Floyd's memory will live on - just like these powerful and poignant quotes about race and racism from activists, supporters and celebrities
As the world continues to feel revolusion over the agonising death of George Floyd, who was killed in broad daylight by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, people across the globe are speaking out against racism and have pledged to help the black community fight for equality once and for all. We've compiled a selection of some of the most poignant quotes about race and racism from activists, supporters and celebrities, to empower, inspire and remind us all never to underestimate our power as individuals to do better.
1.‘Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into’ - Scott Woods, author
2. 'A riot is the language of the unheard' - Martin Luther King, activist
3.‘Racism in America is like dust in the air. It seems invisible – until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of cleaning it’ - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player
4. ‘Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of colour to deal with it’ - Michelle Obama, former First Lady of The United States of America
5. 'What you do in times of crisis reflects your truth’ - Candace Howze, writer and podcaster
6. 'No more seeing people of colour as less than human. We can no longer look away' – Beyoncé, singer
7. 'No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love' - Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
8. 'I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life' - Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host
9. 'Treat racism like Covid-19 – assume you have it. You may be asymptomatic. Racism is the disease. You may be the carrier but the aim is not to destroy the host but eradicate the kill the disease' - Vanessa Kingori, British Vogue Publishing Director
10. 'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality' - Desmond Tutu, Human Rights Activist
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