1972 article
“

Capitalism is a system that forces us to climb over our brothers and sisters' back to get to the top. It is like a race, in which the prize is survival....We fight against each other to live, and we are divided into groups that fight against each other. These groups are formed out of artificial division of race and sex, and social groupings....Many of these divisions that exist are a result of colonization...As a result of the oppression suffered for generations and generations, first under Spain and then under the amerikkkans, we all develop a "colonized mentality"

— Denise Oliver-Velez

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Capitalism is a system that forces us to climb over our brothers and sisters' back to get to the top. It is like a race, in which the prize is survival....We fight against each other to live, and we are divided into groups that fight against each other. These groups are formed out of artificial division of race and sex, and social groupings....Many of these divisions that exist are a result of colonization...As a result of the oppression suffered for generations and generations, first under Spain and then under the amerikkkans, we all develop a "colonized mentality"" in the context of "1972 article" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Denise Oliver-Velez" (Quotes, Through the Eyes of Rebel Women: The Young Lords 1969-1976 by Iris Morales (2016)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Denise Oliver-Velez

About Denise Oliver-Velez

Denise Oliver-Velez (born August 1, 1947) is an American professor, contributing editor, activist and community organizer. She was was a member of both the Young Lords Party and The Black Panther Party.