Whitney M. Young was an American civil rights leader who worked to end racial discrimination and improve economic and educational opportunities for African Americans. He was the executive director of the National Urban League from 1961 to 1971, and was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Whitney M. Young on leadership, life, education.
It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared. — Whitney M. Young
Every man is our brother, and every man’s burden is our own. Where poverty exists, all are poorer. Where hate flourishes, all are corrupted. Where injustice reins, all are unequal. — Whitney M. Young
Black Power simply means: Look at me, I'm here. I have dignity. I have pride. I have roots. I insist, I demand that I participate in those decisions that affect my life and the lives of my children. It means that I am somebody. — Whitney M. Young
I am not anxious to be the loudest voice or the most popular. But I would like to think that at a crucial moment, I was an effective voice of the voiceless, an effective hope of the hopeless. — Whitney M. Young
You don’t get black power by chanting it. You get it by doing what the other groups have done. The Irish kept quiet. They didn’t shout “Irish Power”, “Jew Power”, [or] “Italian Power”. They kept their mouths shut and took over the police department of New York City, and the mayorship of Boston. — Whitney M. Young
The hardest work in the world is being out of work. — Whitney M. Young
Support the strong, give courage to the timid, remind the indifferent, and warn the opposed. — Whitney M. Young
No race has a monopoly on vice or virtue, and the worth of an individual is not related to the color of his skin. — Whitney M. Young
The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else. The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self. — Whitney M. Young
The unhealthy gap between what we preach in America and what we often practice creates a moral dry rot that eats at the very foundation of our democratic ideals and values. — Whitney M. Young
We create an environment where it is alright to hate, to steal, to cheat, and to lie if we dress it up with symbols of respectability, dignity and love. — Whitney M. Young
Liberalism seems to be related to the distance people are from the problem. — Whitney M. Young
Black is beautiful when it is a slum kid studying to enter college, when it is a man learning new skills for a new job. . . . — Whitney M. Young
I've been on so many blind dates I should get a free dog. — Whitney M. Young
You can holler, protest, march, picket and demonstrate, but somebody must be able to sit in on the strategy conferences and plot a course. There must be strategies, the researchers, the professionals to carry out the program. That's our role. — Whitney M. Young
Stretch your mind and fly. — Whitney M. Young
The danger is that people may mistake what is basically a change in vocabulary for a change in behavior, practices, and attitudes. While practically all Americans have learned to talk inoffensively, not enough have learned to think differently, nor act positively. — Whitney M. Young
Our ability to create has outreached our ability to use wisely the products of our invention. — Whitney M. Young
We create an environment where it is alright to hate, to steal, to cheat, and to lie if we dress it up with symbols of respectability, dignity and love. — Whitney M. Young
Life Lessons by Whitney M. Young
Whitney M. Young's work highlights the importance of advocating for civil rights and social justice for all people regardless of their race or background.
His tireless efforts to bridge the gap between white and black communities, and to create a more equitable society, demonstrate the power of collaboration and cooperation.
His legacy serves as a reminder that we must all strive to create a more inclusive and just world for everyone.
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