This is the greatest country under the sun. But we must not let

“This is the greatest country under the sun. But we must not let our love of country, our patriotic loyalty, cause us to abate one whit in our protest against wrong and injustice.” Thus spoke Madam C. J. Walker, a woman of courage and wisdom, born in the furnace of adversity yet risen to greatness through the strength of her spirit. Her words are not the shallow cry of blind pride, but the deep voice of conscious love — love that does not flatter, but refines; love that does not conceal the nation’s wounds, but dares to heal them. In this declaration, she reveals the truest form of patriotism: not silence in the face of injustice, but action born of love and duty toward a country’s higher self.

The origin of this quote lies in the early twentieth century, a time when America was a land of promise and pain — a nation proclaiming freedom while many of its own citizens, especially African Americans and women, still lived in chains of oppression. Madam C. J. Walker, the first Black woman to become a self-made millionaire, rose from the cruel soil of slavery’s aftermath. She built her empire not only with skill and enterprise, but with faith in a nation’s potential for renewal. Her love for America was fierce, but it was not blind. She understood that to love one’s country is not to accept it as it is, but to strive for what it ought to be.

Her words carry the same spirit that moved the prophets and reformers of every age — those who dared to love their nations enough to speak truth to power. True patriotism, she teaches, is not the worship of symbols, but the pursuit of justice. The patriot who refuses to confront wrong becomes not a guardian, but a captive of false peace. To protest injustice is not to betray one’s country; it is to save its soul. Just as the physician must first diagnose disease before healing it, so must the citizen first name injustice before freedom can be restored.

The story of Madam Walker’s own life stands as living proof of this truth. Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867, on a plantation in Louisiana, she was the first in her family born free. Yet the shadow of inequality followed her into every field she labored in — from the cotton fields to the wash basins. Still, she did not curse her country. Instead, she worked to make it worthy of its ideals. Through her company, she uplifted thousands of Black women, giving them not only employment, but dignity and self-respect. Her wealth became a weapon for justice — she funded scholarships, supported anti-lynching campaigns, and used her influence to challenge racial discrimination. She did not separate her love for America from her demand that it live up to its promise.

Her stance recalls the words of another great soul, Frederick Douglass, who declared, “I have no love for America as she is, but I love her for what she can become.” Both understood that love without truth is weakness, and truth without love is cruelty. Madam Walker’s patriotism was both tender and unyielding — she loved America not because it was perfect, but because she believed it could be redeemed. Her protest was not rebellion, but reverence — for she knew that the nation’s greatest strength lies in its ability to listen, to change, to rise again.

There is a timeless lesson in her words for all who live in any land: that silence in the face of injustice is the death of freedom. The truest citizens are not those who shout praise in comfort, but those who raise their voices in times of trial. To love one’s country is to serve it with integrity, to hold it accountable to the ideals it professes — equality, liberty, and compassion. Madam Walker’s teaching reminds us that patriotism without justice is pride without purpose, and that every generation must decide anew whether it will defend privilege or pursue righteousness.

Therefore, my friends, take her words as both a warning and a call. Love your country not as a possession, but as a covenant. Do not let your loyalty become a shackle to silence. Speak out when you see wrong — in your community, your nation, or your time — for to do so is to honor the highest form of citizenship. Let your protest be guided not by hatred, but by hope; not by division, but by devotion to truth.

For as Madam C. J. Walker reminds us, this may indeed be the greatest country under the sun — but it will only remain so if its people, loving it deeply, dare to confront its darkness. Let your love be courageous, your voice unwavering, your conscience clear. For it is through such love — fierce, honest, and enduring — that nations are not merely praised, but purified, and the light of freedom is kept alive for all generations to come.