Mathieu Kerekou Quotes

Poverty makes slaves of free men.

Poverty is an artificial imposition on a human being.

There is no concept more generally cherished by publishers than that of the Undeserving Poor.

False shame accompanies a man that is poor, shame that either harms a man greatly or profits him; shame is with poverty, but confidence with wealth.

If poverty were a man, I would have slain him.

Poverty is not a trait of character. It is created anew in each generation but not by heredity, by circumstances.

Poverty is slavery.

Poverty fills armies, mans navies.

I challenge British Muslims to accept that as strongly as they feel about Iraq or counter-terrorism measures, poverty and inequality have the biggest impact on the lives of the majority of British Muslims and do the most to prevent potential being fulfilled.

For many gay and bisexual men of color, economic inequalities add to the pernicious effects of oppression and homophobia.

Being poor is a mere trifle. It is being known to be poor that is the sting.

That is one of the bitter curses of poverty; it leaves no right to be generous.

The problem of the Middle East is poverty more than politics.

I am open-eyed about what poverty does to people.

If you grow up in the South Bronx today or in south-central Los Angeles or Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you quickly come to understand that you have been set apart and that there's no will in this society to bring you back into the mainstream.

Poverty is the worst form of violence.

Ours is not a poor country and even though we are now a poor people, there should be no room for the despondency that has settled on large sections of the population.

Poverty existed before January 20, 2008, OK? Before President Obama took office.

When you're poor, you don't want anyone to know you're poor.

I often say that poverty needs no passport to travel.

Poverty and lack of knowledge must be challenged.

In prosperous times, the marginal workers get by. But in tough times, they get the shaft.

For as long as our people are held hostage by controllable socio-economic forces, we cannot afford to be indifferent to the ravages of poverty in all its dimensions and ramifications.

Poverty is everyone's problem. It cuts across any line you can name: age, race, social, geographic or religious. Whether you are black or white; rich, middle-class or poor, we are ALL touched by poverty.

Poverty doesn't imply necessarily violence.