Citizenship Quotes

All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

To blend, without coercion, the individual good and the common good is the essence of citizenship in a free country.

The true purpose of education is to prepare young men and women for effective citizenship in a free form of government.

Education is really bread and butter citizenship. It is just necessary to the developing of citizens that can perform their duties properly.

There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.

It is my great hope that as the Negro plunges deeper into the quest for freedom, he will plunge deeper into the philosophy of non-violence. As a race we must work passionately and unrelentingly for first-class citizenship, but we must never use second class methods to gain it.

I never cease to wonder at the amazing presumption of much of white society, assuming that they have the right to bargain with the Negro for his freedom. This continued arrogant ladling out of pieces of the rights of citizenship has begun to generate a fury in the Negro.

The gift of a common tongue is a priceless inheritance and it may well some day become the foundation of a common citizenship.