"We hoped against hope that what we had been doing was enough to prevent a riot. It was not enough"

This quote by Jerome Cavanagh speaks with the power of hope and the trouble of facing truth. It recommends that despite the efforts of Cavanagh and his group, their actions were not enough to prevent a riot. This suggests that the situation was dire which the team understood the capacity for a riot, yet they still held onto hope that their efforts would be enough. The quote likewise speaks to the power of hope, as it indicates that the group wanted to keep attempting despite the odds. Ultimately, the quote serves as a pointer that hope can be an effective motivator, however it is not constantly sufficient to prevent a difficult situation.