Al Sharpton Quotes

The work does not end with the abolition of slavery but only begins.

I want to thank the fans across the country who have supported me in this effort to fight for equality and justice. I want to thank those that have dedicated their lives to this fight, as I know that it is not easy. And I want to challenge those who stay silent to be courageous and use your platforms to become part of the solution. God Bless.

When marginalized people gain voice and center their own experiences, things begin changing. And we see this in all kinds of grassroots movements.

It's not enough to just not be racist. You've got to be anti-racist. You've got to hold everybody accountable.

People have got to get together and work together. I'm tired of the kind of oppression that white people have inflicted on us and are still trying to inflict.

I can't explain exactly why it lives within me for so long and passionately. But race matters to me; racial equality matters to me, as does gender. There is something about these kinds of social injustices that go to the deep of me.

We will live with racism for ever. But senses of self, senses of belonging, senses of us and of others? Those are up for grabs.

We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust.

When I say there should not be a BET channel or a Black History Month, I'm saying we deserve more. I just hope people understand that I'm not judging; I'm coming from experience.

Racism was once just racism, a terrible bigotry that people nevertheless learned to live with, if not as a necessary evil then as an inevitable one. But the civil-rights movement, along with independence movements around the world, changed that.

So here comes this black guy from the Bay Area talking about peace, feminism, challenging racism, challenging the priorities of the country, and talking about preserving the fragile nature of our ecological system. People looked at me as if I was a freak.

It is important to me to keep fighting for the rights of those who cannot.

Are we that self-centered to believe no one in the world is aware of racism right now? That, as athletes, we solve the real issues by using our platforms to speak? We don't need to say more. We need to find a way to achieve more. Protesting during an anthem, wearing T-shirts is great, but we need to see real actions being put in to the works.

I love when white people use their privilege to combat prejudice.

We'll always be re-examining how we relate to each other in terms of race and gender, in terms of power and access.

If we don't center the voices of marginalized people, we're doing the wrong work.

I think our work as movement leaders isn't just about our own visibility but rather how do we make the whole visible. How do we not just fight for our individual selves but fight for everybody?

I believe it's important to have equal opportunities as a black actor. My way of fighting for it is through my art, by not accepting that there are roles that aren't for me.

However, while we should certainly celebrate the demise of overt official racism, we must also critically examine where we are at this historical moment, recognize the many challenges ahead and reaffirm our commitment to making Brown v. Board a reality.

Race prejudice can't be talked down, it must be lived down.

Certainly we can end racism with love. We can demand that the federal government change its emphasis on racial distinction.

My belief system is that you laugh at racism, and that's how it goes away.

I feel that there has been progress made since I was a boy on matters of race, but we have a long way to go.

Using the power you derive from the discovery of the truth about racism in South Africa, you will help us to remake our part of the world into a corner of the globe on which all - of which all of humanity can be proud.

Collectively, we activists are essential to advancing U.S. policy to help empower marginalized people to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty for good.