Walidah Imarisha > Walidah's Quotes

“Prison is a second-by-second assault on the soul, a day-to-day degradation of the self, an oppressive steel and brick umbrella that transforms seconds into hours and hours into days.”
― Mumia Abu-Jamal

“here and there
in the barrios and the favelas,
among those who have least,
beat hearts of hope,
fly sparks of Overcoming. ”
― Mumia Abu-Jamal, Death Blossoms: Reflections from a Prisoner of Conscience

“i want to apologize to all the women i have called beautiful
before i’ve called them intelligent or brave
i am sorry i made it sound as though
something as simple as what you’re born with
is all you have to be proud of
when you have broken mountains with your wit
from now on i will say things like
you are resilient, or you are extraordinary
not because i don’t think you’re beautiful
but because i need you to know
you are more than that”
― Rupi Kaur