Here at Bored Panda, we love to chit-chat about lighthearted topics, like how cute otters are or our favorite video games. But sometimes, it’s also necessary to stop for a few minutes and ponder more serious matters. We’re not just animals that exist on this planet to have fun; we’re human beings with a responsibility to each other and ourselves.
From the battle for women’s empowerment to Black Lives Matter, equal rights have been a rallying cry for activists who believe everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. While diversity exists in every society, it’s not always followed by equality. And even when a community is remarkably diverse, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is equal. Many equality quotes highlight these problems in society.
We need to talk about equality and bring about change. Only then can we build a world where everyone has access to equal opportunities to succeed, grow, and thrive. For decades, social movements and influential people have created slogans and quotes on equality.
They’re a form of protest art, often printed on posters, chanted at rallies, and painted on walls. Quotes on equality and justice can be powerful because they’re so simple: With just a few words, they encapsulate an idea that encourages people to join together in action.
There are many famous gender, racial, cultural, and LGBT equality quotes that are very powerful. So, here we are with some of the most renowned equality quotes from activists, politicians, philosophers, and great minds we should take a few moments to reflect on. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and upvote the quotes that you find the most impactful.
#21
"There should be no discrimination against languages people speak, skin color, or religion." - Malala Yousafzai
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#22
"In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently." - Harry A. Blackmun
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#23
"Equality and self-determination should never be divided in the name of religious or ideological fervor." - Rita Dove
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#24
"We are not supposed to be all equal. Let's just forget that. We are supposed to have equal rights under law. If we do that, we have done enough." - Ben Stein
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#25
"Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation." - Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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Who Quoted “This Equality Feels Like Oppression?”
Of many women’s equality quotes, one famous saying has always stood out. Here’s the full quote:
“When someone is accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
It’s still unknown who came up with this statement. Still, many public figures like labor activist Mark Caddo, Franklin Leonard, or Pennsylvania state legislator Brian Sims have been credited with creating it. At first glance, this might not seem like a gender equality quote, but it burst into the public’s eye due to an uproar about women in leadership roles.
In 2016, the CEOs of 27 huge companies announced that they would fill 50% of their top leadership roles with women by 2030. Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprising), not everybody was happy with this decision, and there was public outrage. Out of the blue, this equality quote began making the rounds to remind everyone that these much-needed steps toward equality aren’t oppressive. And that privileged people often face discomfort when faced with simple equity-based changes.
#26
"I am sure that every one of my colleagues - Democrat, Republican, and Independent - agrees with that statement. That in the voting booth, everyone is equal." - Barbara Boxer
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#27
"Private religious speech can't be discriminated against. It has to be treated equally with secular speech." - Samuel Alito
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#28
"Social media are a catalyst for the advancement of everyone's rights. It's where we're reminded that we're all human and all equal. It's where people can find and fight for a cause, global or local, popular or specialized, even when there are hundreds of miles between them." - Queen Rania
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#29
"Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom." - Alexis de Tocqueville
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#30
"All men are born equally free." - Salmon P. Chase
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#31
"It is better that some should be unhappy rather than that none should be happy, which would be the case in a general state of equality." - Samuel Johnson
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#32
"The true and solid peace of nations consists not in equality of arms, but in mutual trust alone." - Pope John XXIII
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#33
"The basic Buddhist stand on the question of equality between the genders is age-old. At the highest tantric levels, at the highest esoteric level, you must respect women: every woman." - Dalai Lama
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#34
"The difference between equity and equality is that equality is everyone gets the same thing and equity is everyone gets the things they deserve." - DeRay McKesson
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#35
"Genuine equality between the sexes can only be realized in the process of the socialist transformation of society as a whole." - Mao Zedong
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#36
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
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#37
"Before God, we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." - Albert Einstein
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#38
"It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways, equality and freedom of speech are a good thing." - Herodotus
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#39
"The cry of equality pulls everyone down." - Iris Murdoch
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#40
"I believe the equal rights amendment is a necessity of life for all citizens. The cabinet sometimes felt that I shouldn't be so outspoken." - Betty Ford
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