Racial Segregation Quotes

“While stationed in Fort Jackson, I experienced racial prejudice for the first time and came to the understanding that humans are not born with prejudice, but learn prejudice. Back home in South Dakota, I only knew one black American. The Scandinavians in my community treated him just like any other Swede; my family considered him a friend. My parents taught me, and I believed that all men are equal because God created all men in His image.

One day during a week end furlough, I boarded a crowded city bus. As I walked down the aisle, I looked for an open seat. Looking towards the rear of the bus, I noticed three huge, young black men sitting on a bench in the back. I decided to squeeze onto the bench with them. As I sat down, a woman said in a very loud voice, "What is that white soldier doing in our part of the bus?"

Neither my life experiences nor my education prepared me for what I experienced walking the streets of Fort Jackson. I saw water fountains for whites only, barbershops for blacks only, and separation for most aspects of Southern living. I discovered that the feelings of prejudice ran deeply amongst many of the people that we encountered. In fact, the blacks even trained separately from the whites during our military preparation, even though we all worked towards defending the United States of America.”
― Omanson, Oliver, Prisoner of War Number 21860: The World War II Memoirs of Oliver Omanson

“Truman’s progressive civil rights record stood in some contrast with his personal prejudices. He differentiated between “political equality,” by which he meant the government’s duty to treat all citizens equally regardless of race, and “social equality,” which were code words for racial integration.”
― Richard Gergel, Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring

“Apartheid continues to thrive with the same strength but in a different form, and this puts a heavier burden on the shoulders of those who wish to fight against Apartheid types of injustice.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice

“Though Apartheid policies were officially rescinded in South Africa, the Apartheid mentality and various other forms of racial discrimination still thrive in the world.”
― Oscar Auliq-Ice