Michelle Alexander Quotes

Schools should take an active part in directing social change, and share in the construction of a new social order

We accept the world in order to change it. If you do not accept, then what are you going to change?

American education is still the wonder of the world, and we must open the schoolhouse doors, not close them.

You can't find your way to social reform through the forces that made social reform necessary.

When I was growing up, government was the agent of change: it was a developing country. What was important was to make a difference.

I come from an academic background, and I have a genuine interest in social change.

The findings in contemporary social sciences are helping us understand that we can find other ways to educate people and act against injustice and corruption in our society.

I'm not interested to change about the government. I'm interested to change the conditions for the people. So, yes, I talk a lot. But I think this is the only way for Italy in this moment.

If you look at all different facets, where does it come from? Education. It comes from empowerment of young people. Because the bureaucracies that are in place now, they're not going to change, they're not going to stop.

I believe that education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform.

If I was president, I would definitely stop war, put more money toward health insurance and my community. Especially, last but not least, the most important one -education. I just think education comes before anything because in order for you to know about everything, you have to go to school, and you have to learn.

Every revolution begins as consciousness because some group of people has to imagine change. You have to have the idea of change or at least have a hope before you can proceed. And that stage goes very quickly because a contagion of consciousness is within your control. But when you get to the stage of institutional change, it becomes a much slower process.

I don't think there will ever be a time when people will stop wanting to bring about change.

It is not time to tell the leaders to realize how important education is - they already know it - their own children are in good schools. Now it is time to call them to take action.

We've tried ignorance for a thousand years. It's time we try education.

Development must be such that it positively transforms the lives of the common people.

The economy schoolchildren currently expect to live under and serve would not survive a generation of young people trained to think critically.

Not all revolutionaries set out to change the world per se; some set out to change their own worlds. And in so doing, they often change the way one person, or a few people, or whole communities, or entire nations or the world thinks and operates in some significant way.

people with a sense of fulfillment think it is a good world and would like to conserve it as it is, while the frustrated favor radical change.

Germany and France are pinning their hopes on young people, in terms of education, science and innovation.

I still think that it's time for something that reflects the American people.

We shall one day learn to supersede politics by education. What we call our root-and-branch reforms of slavery, war, gambling, intemperance, is only medicating the symptoms. We must begin higher up, namely, in education.

I know that gaps can be closed. And they can be closed substantially, more than I think we believe.

I do try to say, God’s will be done, sir,” said the Squire, looking up at Mr. Gibson for the first time, and speaking with more life in his voice; “but it’s harder to be resigned than happy people think.

Place-based initiatives can provide a useful framework to judge our progress in raising people out of poverty. They allow us to see whether or not a neighborhood is improving and its residents are living better.