With more than 30 published works to his name, James Baldwin is considered one of the quintessential voices of the Black American community. In his fiction, memoirs, and poetry, he explored the effects of racism through both individual perspectives and social commentary. This quote comes from his 1974 novel “If Beale Street Could Talk,” which focuses on the love story between a Black couple after one of them is falsely convicted of a crime. Baldwin’s words encourage us to actively engage with the world around us, for we can only drive change if we first choose to take action.