Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.
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Commentary
Justice is not usually granted by inertia. Change tends to require clear, disciplined insistence.
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The line is hard-edged because Douglass is observing power as it behaves, not as people wish it behaved. Demand here means organized courage joined to sustained effort.
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Its continuing relevance is uncomfortable and therefore useful. Waiting passively is often mistaken for patience when it is actually surrender.
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Commentary
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Commentary