You discover that the education the Negro gets is designed to keep him subservient. The poor black man is exploited by whites and by educated Negroes, too.

The quote by Medgar Evers addresses the systemic inequalities inherent in the education of African Americans during the era of segregation and racial discrimination. Evers asserts that the education provided to Black individuals was deliberately structured to maintain subservience, limiting opportunities for social mobility, critical thinking, and empowerment. This perspective highlights how educational systems can reflect and reinforce broader social and racial hierarchies.

Evers further emphasizes that exploitation occurs on multiple levels. He notes that the poor Black community is not only marginalized by oppressive white institutions but also manipulated by educated African Americans who may, intentionally or not, perpetuate the system’s inequities. This observation underscores the complexities of power dynamics within marginalized communities and the role of education in either challenging or sustaining inequality.

The origin of this quote is from Medgar Evers (1925–1963), a prominent civil rights activist and leader in the fight against racial injustice in the United States. Evers worked tirelessly to dismantle segregation, expand voting rights, and promote social equality. His reflections on education reveal his awareness of how systemic oppression was maintained not just through laws and policies, but also through controlled access to knowledge and opportunities.

Ultimately, this quote serves as a powerful critique of education as a tool of social control. It calls attention to the need for equitable and empowering educational systems that enable marginalized communities to gain true autonomy, opportunity, and agency, rather than reinforcing cycles of exploitation and subservience.