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I must serve the race which needs me most.
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“I must serve the race which needs me most.”

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Source
Iola Leroy; Or, Shadows Uplifted
Date
1892
Local voice
Fictional character · Iola Leroy
Meaning

Meaning of “I must serve the race which needs me…”

Iola turns identity into a practical commitment: she decides that her education and abilities should be used where she believes her work is most needed.

Source context

Where does it come from?

Iola Leroy; Or, Shadows Uplifted, represented by Project Gutenberg #12352. Iola says this while declining Dr. Gresham’s marriage proposal and explaining her commitment to serve the Black community after emancipation. It is fictional character speech embedded in Harper’s Reconstruction-era racial and social argument.

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Speaker context

Why the local voice matters

Iola Leroy; Or, Shadows Uplifted. Iola says this while explaining her settled decision to devote her work to the Black community after emancipation; it is fictional character speech inside a Reconstruction-era novel.

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Themes

Ideas connected with this quotation

CommunityCompassionCourage Quotes About Acting Despite FearHelping OthersHumanityIdentityPurpose Quotes About Direction, Duty & Meaningful WorkResponsibilityServiceShortThought-Provoking Quotes That Invite Reflection
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Source details

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Source details

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