Marginalized Quotes

I will always be on the side of those who have nothing.

…composed of the scum of the earth.

The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.

Our struggle is not easy. Those who oppose our cause are rich and powerful and they have many allies in high places. We are poor. Our allies are few. But we have something the rich do not own. We have our bodies and spirits and the justice of our cause as our weapons.

Having seen TED from a distance, I always thought if ever there was a place for someone like me, the outcasts, people who maintained who they are despite being told what they were, it was TED.

The hardest hit, as everywhere, are those who have no choice.

In the poorest of the poor we see Jesus in distressed guise.

I've always identified with the misfits.

Instrumental music is increasingly marginalized.

I like to give a voice to others, especially things neglected or despised.

Go out and speak for the inarticulate and submerged.

I'm a black man in the United States of America, so I always feel like there's a target on me.

It means a great deal to those who are oppressed to know that they are not alone. And never let anyone tell you that what you are doing is insignificant.

I always think that my assignment is to seek out stories that are experienced by people who don't get the ticket for Easy Street.

Being a black sheep is a way I would describe myself.

I'm always drawn to the underdogs, to the people whose stories don't get told.

It's not easy to be the weird kid or the rebel.

I am the voice of the voiceless.

I was... the loser of my class. I had absolutely no friends.

If given a choice, I would have certainly selected to be what I am: one of the oppressed instead of one of the oppressors.

Mystery fiction was considered a stepchild of literature.

Bottom 10 Percent progressives are not enthusiastic about concentrations of wealth. But that's not what keeps them up at night. Their focus is on deprivation and lack of opportunity. They're motivated by empathy for people who are suffering, rather than outrage over unjustified wealth.

I've been silenced in America.

I've learned how to measure what I say. Al Sharpton in 1986 was trying to be heard. I was a local guy and was like, 'Y'all are ignoring us.'

My natural state is an outsider. I've always felt outside the group, and I've always been analyzing the group.