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Paulo Freire: Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paperback, 2000, Continuum) 4 stars

First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in …

They talk about the people, but they do not trust them; and trusting the people is the indispensable precondition for revolutionary change. A real humanist can be identified more by his trust in the people, which engages him in their struggle, than by a thousand actions in their favor without that trust.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by  (Page 60)

Freire was talking about a situation where an oppressor joins the side of the oppressed because they recognize that they must change. They show that there's work to do, but these converts bring 'their prejudices and their deformations' which may then show false generosity and want to be the ones who execute the revolution. I thought about myself because there was a time in my life where I was a victim of capitalism and was a racist and would say very mean things about people. I then woke up and noticed the things I was saying was morally incorrect so I decided to change. However, as much as I apologized for the things I was saying, I never fully found trust within myself or the people who I hurt. I'm not part of the oppressed class because I'm not a capitalist, but I believe you can become an oppressor while you are part of the oppressed. It is necessary to trust the people (and perhaps yourself) if you want the revolution to take place. Let the people naturally lead. No opportunists, no false converts, just the people.