On the road to equality there is no better place for blacks to detour around American values than in forgoing its example in the treatment of its women and the organization of its family.

In this quote, Eleanor Holmes Norton, an American politician and civil rights advocate, highlights the importance of equality for Black people in the context of American society. She suggests that Black individuals seeking equality should not avoid or bypass the lessons to be learned from how American values treat women and the family unit. Norton implies that a society striving for true equality cannot ignore its treatment of women and the organization of its family because these are central issues that reflect the larger systemic patterns of injustice and inequality.

Norton’s point is that American values, while often idealized, are deeply flawed when it comes to gender equality and the treatment of women. She argues that the way a society treats its women and structures its families serves as a mirror to the broader state of equality within that society. In other words, the pursuit of racial equality for Black Americans should be paired with a critical examination of how gender and family dynamics function, particularly in a country that has historically marginalized both women and racial minorities.

By referencing the detour around American values, Norton critiques the idea that Black Americans should focus solely on racial equality while overlooking the deeper social inequities that exist within the American system, particularly regarding the treatment of women. She stresses that equality cannot be fully realized if these underlying issues are ignored or accepted as part of the status quo. For Norton, the fight for equality is inseparable from the fight for gender equality and the reformation of societal norms surrounding the family unit.

Ultimately, Norton’s quote calls for a holistic approach to social justice—one that seeks equality for all marginalized groups, including women, within the framework of a more equitable and fair society. By invoking American values, she challenges society to live up to its stated ideals of freedom and justice for all, not just in terms of race, but in the treatment of women and the structure of the family.