The holders of twenty hundred million dollars' worth of property in human chattels procured the means of influencing press, pulpit, and politician, and through these instrumentalities they belittled our virtues and magnified our vices, and have made us odious in the eyes of the world.
-- Frederick Douglass (Preface paragraph 1)

Importance: In this quote from his essay "The Color Line" that opens the book, Douglass effectively summarizes the insurmountable difficulties faced by African Americans in the cultural conversation after the Civil War. Society was structured around white supremacist beliefs, meaning white voices ruled the newspapers, the religious organizations, and the government, and consequently African Americans were at a substantial disadvantage when arguing for equality.

The power of the idea of universal suffrage to summon the forces of darkness buried deep in the white racist imaginary is a monstrous thing to behold from our vantage point today.
-- Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (chapter 1 paragraph 3)

Importance: Gates is referring to the cultural campaign waged by white...