"I maintain that every civil rights bill in this country was passed for white people, not for black people"
- Stokely Carmichael
About this Quote
Stokely Carmichael's quote suggests that civil rights legislation in the United States has actually been primarily developed to benefit white people, rather than black people. This is a reflection of the systemic racism that has actually been embedded in the American political system given that the country's founding. By recommending that civil liberties legislation has actually been designed to benefit white people, Carmichael is highlighting the truth that black individuals have been systematically omitted from the advantages of civil rights legislation. This exemption has actually been a major factor in the continued oppression of black individuals in the United States. Carmichael's quote is an effective suggestion of the requirement for civil liberties legislation to be developed to benefit all people, despite race. It is a call to action for the American government to guarantee that civil rights legislation is designed to benefit all individuals, not simply white individuals.