Voltairine de Cleyre Quotes

A protest only has value if it arises from conviction, leaves a forceful impression, or develops consciousness

I need to get a tiny bit more 'woke.'

Some people are diplomatic, some people are outspoken, but the next generation is very clear. People are speaking their mind out. People are worried about other things besides their own careers. It's not accurate to say that they don't speak out.

We should be aware and constantly having conversations about the world because that's how you change it from the bigger standpoint rather than acutely trying to change things.

Politics lives in people, ideas live in people, they live in the concrete struggles that people have.

A social movement that only moves people is merely a revolt. A movement that changes both people and institutions is a revolution.

I think that once somebody sees something, or feels it in the consciousness of society, it starts to allow change for other people.

When people generally are aware of a problem, it can be said to have entered the public consciousness. When people get on their hind legs and holler, the problem has not only entered the public consciousness -- it has also become a part of the public conscience. At that point, things in our democracy begin to hum.

The point is change can come about, but it only comes about when millions of people are actively involved in political struggle, the billionaires may have the money, but we have the people.

It seems to me that the students are now half-awake enough to try and wake up their brother workers. If you don't pass on your own awareness then it closes down again.

I like to see the people awake and alert.

Every revolution begins as consciousness because some group of people has to imagine change.

This is what people do in America. They get out. They demonstrate. They let their voices with heard.

Sometimes a few passionate people change the world; sometimes they start a mass movement and millions do.

We have got to mobilize people and rethink our commitment in terms of what our role is in the political process.

People may say 'What can I do? I'm only one person.' But we've proven that when we come together demonstrate, and speak our piece, there is no way the power structure can avoid being attentive.

There is a power that can be created out of pent-up indignation, courage, and the inspiration of a common cause, and that if enough people put their minds and bodies into that cause, they can win. It is a phenomenon recorded again and against in the history of popular movements against injustice all over the world.

The greatest mistake of the movement has been trying to organize a sleeping people around specific goals. You have to wake the people up first, then you'll get action.

We want people to feel with us more than to act for us.

Now, two things happen. One is, people know people, whether that's on Facebook or Twitter. They feel closer to the event. Secondly, people see other people doing something about it.

Let's do something to wake these people up.

Revolt is the violence of an entire people; rebellion the unruliness of an individual or an uprising by a minority; both are spontaneous and blind. Revolution is both planned and spontaneous, a science and an art.

Rebels seldom make good revolutionaries, because organized action, even union with other people, is not possible for them.

The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.