Human Rights

Tawakkol Karman

Politics

b. 1979

"Despite being subjected to killing, arrest, and oppression, Morsy's supporters have held fast to the democratic process and prevented Egypt from descending into civil war."

🇻🇳Thích Nhất Hạnh

Literature

Engaged Buddhism

1926–2022

"Chanting from the heart: Buddhist ceremonies and daily practices"

🇦🇺Randa Abdel-Fattah

Literature

b. 1979

"Distance in time has made my voice less contrived and subjective. I don’t feel I’m writing some kind of diary . I am far more conscious of my voice and more disciplined in separating myself from my characters…"

🇺🇸Eleanor Roosevelt

Politics

1884–1962

"Oh! I want to put my arms around you, I ache to hold you close. Your ring is a great comfort. I look at it and think she does love me or I wouldn't be wearing it!"

🇺🇸A. Philip Randolph

Social Activism

civil rights movement

1889–1979

"If the Church, white or black, is to express the true philosophy of Jesus Christ, Himself a worker, it will not lend itself to the creed of oppressive capitalism which would deny to the servant his just hire."

🇺🇸Zainab Salbi

Social Activism

b. 1969

"NYTimes Women In The World Articles by Zainab Salbi"

🇺🇸Ernestine Rose

Social Activism

atheism

1810–1892

"Ernestine Rose: A Defence of Atheism: A lecture delivered in Mercantile Hall, Boston on 10 April, 1861, Published in 1881."

🇺🇸H. Rap Brown

Social Activism

1943–2025

"In this country, authority is a cover for wrong. I don't respect wrong and I don't respect authority that represents wrong."

"The drama of human rights, then, is that they emerged in the 1970s seemingly from nowhere. If the Soviet Union had generally lost credibility , human rights were not the immediate beneficiaries."

🇺🇸Pauli Murray

Social Activism

1910–1985

"This society is not hospitable to persons of color, women or left-handed people."