Quote of the Day

... in order for white folk to surrender comfort and claim a true awakening, they must hear and not be defensive about Black claims of exhaustion.  And, come to think of it, there is (quite literally in the spelling, but of course also in the meanings, beyond etymology, that we bring to the world from the depth of our experience and imagination) rage at the heart of mirage, which is what results when the white illusion that things aren't as bad as we know they are wins out over our descriptions of the hurt and pain we see.  There is rage in tragedy, when our enormous anger is sparked by the racial catastrophe and chaos we endure.  But there is rage in courage, too, where we are motivated by our rage at the dying of the light to be braver than we might ordinarily be and to forge ahead and make things happen with our energy and determination.  And, yes, there is rage in encouragement, too, because when we are disgusted at injustice, we war against it while uplifting the spirits of those who are its greatest victims.

-- Michael Eric Dyson, Long Time Coming, p. 200-201