Frederick Douglass, one of America’s greatest orators and abolitionists, expressed this principle in a lecture given to the Ladies of the Rochester Anti-Slavery Sewing Society in 1855. In his decades building coalitions to end slavery and fight for civil rights, Douglass had come to understand the necessity — and potential dangers — of political alliances. He was willing to engage in dialogue with almost anyone, across racial and ideological divides, if he believed it would be fruitful — but he would also break with potential allies if they pursued unjust ends or employed unethical methods. His principle remains just as relevant today: to build community around shared and honorable goals while taking care not to sacrifice our ethical principles for convenience or blind loyalty.