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GIVE A SHOUT TO WORD UP! wordup@papermag.com
Posted Jan. 23, 2009, 3:44 p.m. ET
Sourcing the quote: "Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama ran so we can all fly."
By David Hershkovits
Widely attributed to Jay-Z, this quote is becoming epic. And rightly so. It resonates with everyone who hears it. Over at quoteland there's a forum devoted to tracking down the source of this quote, which has made its way to the front page on Newsday when commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as well as on to t-shirts, street art, rugs and into Jay's version of "My President is Black."
While it didn't originate from Jay, he did tweak it into a more manageable and rap-able sound bite. "He heard it somewhere... But can't remember the name," Jay's office reports. French philosopher Bernard-Henry Levy quoted it on Charlie Rose, but it didn't originate with him either. After looking around, I can say with some certainty that the now celebrated words were uttered by Cleo Fields, former Congressman and State Senator from Louisiana, while speaking in February last year. The original version goes like this:
"W.E.B. Dubois taught so that Rosa Parks could take a seat. Rosa took a seat so we all could take a stand. We all took a stand so that Martin Luther King Jr. could march. Martin marched so Jesse Jackson could run. Jesse ran so Obama could WIN."
Dubois and Jesse Jackson are erased from the popular version, but at least now we know they were included in the original and who originally said them.
image from etsy
Comments
Thank you so much for posting this history. It is a inspiring and wonderful to know!
Posted at 8:09 p.m. ET on Jan 24, 2009 by Mairéid Sullivan
Thanks for uncovering this quote from Senator Fields. However, I think it is important to note that not only are Dubois and Jackson erased from the popular version, but also Shirley Chisholm, who ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972, 12 years before Jesse Jackson did so, is erased from Cleo Fields' version!
Posted at 2:16 p.m. ET on Jan 25, 2009 by Susannah MacKaye
I don't think the quote should have anything to do with Chisolm or Jackson. Yes they made strides, but those strides wouldn't be possible without Parks or King, and that goes for the big O as well. Chisolm and Jackson run only resonated with a small percentage of people compared to the mass movement that came with Obama. For that reason this quote, is dead on. He was really give a chance to take off and fly high.
This quote became a popular mass text message at the beginning of his campaign.
Posted at 3:33 p.m. ET on Jan 26, 2009 by Christina Hardy
i thought this quote comes form a young jeezy song, not jay-z.
Posted at 12:32 p.m. ET on Mar 01, 2009 by bp
Actually, one more is not mentioned. As a Dane i know that Dubois was directly inspired by the danish "højskole"-movement (and Dubois attended one himself) founded by Grundtvig - which inspired him to found the American folk schools.
Posted at 9:19 a.m. ET on Mar 14, 2009 by Daniel
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