In the history of nearly all other races and peoples the doctrine preached at such crises has been that manly self-respect is worth more than lands and houses, and that a people who voluntarily surrender such respect, or cease striving for it, are not worth civilizing.
W.E.B. Du Bois: “In the history of nearly all other races and peoples the doctrine preached at such crises has been that manly…”
Editor's note · Context
This passage from "Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others" argues for the historical importance of self-respect in the face of oppression.
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