I believe in equality: guys have rights, women have rights. It

"I believe in equality: guys have rights, women have rights. It should be the same with race, or class, or whatever. I just like balance." These words spoken by Little Simz strike a powerful chord with the essence of justice, calling us to reflect on the balance that must exist in our society for true equality to be achieved. To believe in equality is not to accept the limitations of the world as they are, but to strive for a world where every human being, regardless of their gender, race, or class, has the opportunity to live freely and without oppression. Little Simz presents a vision of a world where the scales of justice are balanced, where no one is privileged above another, and where equality is not just an abstract ideal, but a living, breathing reality.

The idea of equality—a world where all are treated with fairness—has deep roots in the philosophies of the ancients. In Ancient Greece, the notion of justice was seen as a fundamental virtue that should guide the actions of both individuals and rulers. The philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle debated how best to achieve a just society, but their ideas often failed to account for the inequality that was deeply woven into the fabric of their own systems. Women were not granted the same rights as men, and the enslavement of people based on race or class was rampant. Despite these inequalities, the idea of a just and balanced society remained central to their thinking—though it would take centuries for the world to begin to put these ideals into practice in a meaningful way.

What Little Simz speaks to is not just the recognition of rights for all people, but the vision of balance in which all lives are valued equally. To say, “I just like balance,” is to call for a world in which no race, gender, or class holds dominion over another. It is a call to dismantle the systems of oppression that have persisted throughout history, systems that have favored some while diminishing the rights and dignity of others. And yet, as history has shown us, this balance has often been disrupted, either by the inertia of the powerful or the complacency of those who benefit from the status quo.

Consider the civil rights movement in the United States, led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., whose famous words—"I have a dream"—echoed the call for a society where balance could be achieved for African Americans. King’s dream was one of equality, but not just in the sense of legal rights—it was a call for a deep societal transformation where people were not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. His work, and the work of countless others, was not merely to fight for equality in name, but for a society where all could live with dignity and justice—a vision of balance in action.

Little Simz, like many modern voices, sees the ongoing need for such transformation. Equality is not something to be taken for granted, for history shows us that we are constantly fighting for it. Women, too, have struggled for equality and balance in a world that has often relegated them to the shadows of their male counterparts. The women’s suffrage movement, for instance, was a long and hard-fought battle for the right to vote, a basic human right denied to half of the population. The voices of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were the clarion calls for a balance that would give women the same rights as men, a battle that was finally won with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920.

Yet, even as these struggles for gender equality and racial equality continue, we must not forget the class divide that persists in society. The fight for economic equality has long been tied to the struggle for social justice. As the gap between the wealthy and the poor continues to widen, the quest for balance becomes even more urgent. The story of Eleanor Roosevelt, who championed the rights of the poor and the marginalized, is one that reminds us that true equality is not just about access to voting booths or equal wages; it is about the broader systems of society that either lift people up or hold them down. She knew that social justice required that we address the inequities of wealth, opportunity, and education, and that without such change, balance would never be realized.

Thus, Little Simz’s words become a call to action for each generation to take up the mantle of equality. To desire balance is not merely a passive wish; it is a commitment to actively challenge the imbalances in our society. We must work to ensure that all people—regardless of race, gender, or class—are afforded the same opportunities to thrive and succeed. This requires a willingness to confront the systems that perpetuate inequality, whether they are in our laws, our schools, our workplaces, or in the very hearts of our communities.

The lesson here is clear: equality is not an abstract concept, but a daily practice. Each of us has a role to play in creating a balanced world, one where the rights of all people are respected, and where no one is elevated above another based on race, gender, or class. Let us, in our own lives, strive to embody the values of balance and equality, standing firm in the belief that all people are worthy of justice. By challenging the forces of inequality, by working for a more just society, we bring closer the vision of a world where equality for all is not just a dream, but a living, breathing reality.