Julian Bond Quotes & Sayings

“I tell young people to prepare themselves as best they can for a world that grows more challenging every day-get the best education they can, and couple that education with real-life experience in social justice work.”

“Many are attracted to social service - the rewards are immediate, the gratification quick. But if we have social justice, we won't need social service.”

“The First Amendment means everything to me.”

“As skills and energy became more of a demand, people who didn't have skills just got left behind, got shuttled to the side. Education didn't keep up with their promise. Education didn't prepare them for this new world. Jobs went overseas.”

“There is a thin line between politics and theatricals.”

“Violence is black children going to school for 12 years and receiving 6 years' worth of education.”

“Any time someone carries a picket sign in front of the White House, that is the First Amendment in action.”

“And I've tried to give us a higher profile. Typically, at a board meeting, we'd pass resolutions about the civil-rights issue of the day, but we'd never tell anyone. So I've instituted a policy of announcing our resolutions at the end of our meetings.”

“But even at the height of these scandals, even at the time when our finances were at their worst, the NAACP branches - the grassroots - kept plugging away. They kept doing what they do, and they do it well.”

“Ever since I've become chairman, there have been profiles of me in People, George, The Washington Post, The Detroit News, and all of them could have been written by the same person.”