"There's no such thing as second class citizenship. That's like telling me you can be a little bit pregnant"

H. Rap Brown, known for his activism throughout the Civil Rights Movement and his position as a leader in the Black Panther Party, utilizes this quote to expose the inherent contradictions and absurdities in the concept of "2nd class citizenship". By comparing the idea to being "a bit pregnant", he underscores the impossibility of partial status in matters of inherent rights and identities.

The analogy of pregnancy is engaging due to the fact that pregnancy, like citizenship, is an absolute state; one is either pregnant or not, simply as one is either a full citizen or not. There is no in-between or gray location. This shows Brown's critique of social and legal structures that attempt to appoint varying degrees of citizenship. In contexts where people are labeled as "2nd class" people, it recommends that they are in some way less than, or not completely, residents-- a concept that contradicts the concepts of equality and justice that ought to underpin any democratic society.

To indicate that someone can be a "second class" person is to dehumanize them, to reject them full access to the rights, advantages, and obligations that feature citizenship. It's an insidious type of discrimination that perpetuates social stratification and reinforces systemic injustices. Brown's metaphor highlights the absurdity of watering down the idea of citizenship, emphasizing that real citizenship must not be subject to negotiation or limitation based on race, socioeconomic status, or any other arbitrary attribute.

By turning down the idea of 2nd class citizenship, Brown was advocating for total equality and complete acknowledgment of all individuals' rights. His words call for a combined understanding of citizenship that recognizes and respects the total self-respect and worth of everyone. In essence, Brown's message is a need for societal structures that treat all people as completely important parts of the nation, entitled to the very same rights and chances, without exception or diminution.