“Legality is a construct of the powerful, not of justice”

“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is a saying that has been printed on many images. “Slavery was legal, colonialism was legal, apartheid was legal, the holocaust was legal? It didn’t make it right #wits11” was posted on Twitter by Tsodiyo on January 20, 2014.
 
“Define Justice “@KingDouyeAlfred: Apartheid was ‘legal’ Slavery was ‘legal’ Colonialism was ‘legal’ Legality is a construct of the powerful” was posted on Twitter by Bhumy on March 9, 2015. “@KingDouyeAlfred: Apartheid was ‘legal’ Slavery was ‘legal’ Colonialism was ‘legal’ Legality is a construct of the powerful Not of justice” was posted on Twitter by Tofarati Ige on March 13, 2015. (”@KingDouyeAlfred” tweets are private.)
 
“Apartheid was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Law is a question of power, not justice” was posted on Twitter by Kitty D’Gaff on June 2, 2015. “Apartheid was ‘legal.’ Slavery was ‘legal.’ Colonialism was ‘legal.’ Legality is a question of power, not of justice… via @Desinformemonos (translation mine)” was posted on Facebook by Adjunct Justice: Fores’ Forum on July 13, 2015.
 
“Apartheid was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not a matter of justice” was posted on Twitter by rafa salamanca on July 15, 2015. “Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image on a Facebook by Church Within A Church Movement on November 22, 2015.
 
“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image, with “Copyright 2016 Chris Rock” and “whosay” at the bottom, on Twitter by Pamela J. Alexander on November 18, 2016. “Legality is a matter of power, not justice. -Jose Antonio Vargas #DefianceML” was posted on Twitter by Xiao Xiao on July 21, 2017. American comedian and actor Chris Rock did not coin the saying in 2016, and neither did journalist, filmmaker and immigration rights activist Jose Antonio Vargas in 2017.
 
“The system will have you thinking ‘legal’ means ‘right’, but remember slavery was legal” is a similar saying.
     
     
Twitter
Tsodiyo
@tokelonhlapo
Slavery was legal, colonialism was legal, apartheid was legal, the holocaust was legal? It didn’t make it right #wits11
3:28 PM · Jan 20, 2014·Twitter for Windows Phone
     
Twitter
Bhumy
@Missschief_
Define Justice “@KingDouyeAlfred: Apartheid was “legal” Slavery was “legal” Colonialism was “legal” Legality is a construct of the powerful.
7:37 PM · Mar 9, 2015·Twitter for BlackBerry®
   
Twitter
Tofarati Ige
@grandtycoon
”@KingDouyeAlfred: Apartheid was “legal” Slavery was “legal” Colonialism was “legal” Legality is a construct of the powerful Not of justice”
10:18 AM · Mar 13, 2015·Twitter for BlackBerry®
   
Twitter
Tofarati Ige
@grandtycoon
”@KingDouyeAlfred: Apartheid was “legal” Slavery was “legal” Colonialism was “legal” Legality is a construct of the powerful Not of justice”
10:18 AM · Mar 13, 2015·Twitter for BlackBerry®
 
Twitter
Kevin Bushnell
@_Salam_
Replying to @KingDouyeAlfred
MT @KingDouyeAlfred
Apartheid was “legal”
Slavery was “legal”
Colonialism was “legal”
Legality is a construct of power, not #justice
1:17 AM · Mar 14, 2015·Twitter Web Client
     
Twitter
ancestral futurisms
@abdisankofa
Replying to @KingDouyeAlfred
—> “@KingDouyeAlfred:
Apartheid was “legal”
Slavery was “legal”
Colonialism was “legal”
Legality is a construct of Power
Not Justice”
9:03 PM · Mar 30, 2015·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
JtheKingg
@JtheKingg
Apartheid was “legal”
Slavery was “legal”
Colonialism was “legal”
Legality is construct of the power
Not of justice
5:53 PM · Apr 5, 2015·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
Kitty D’Gaff
@capojop
Replying to @chiller
@chiller “Apartheid was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Law is a question of power, not justice.
11:18 AM · Jun 2, 2015·Twitter Web Client
     
Twitter
حلیمه
@_HalemaW
Slavery was legal. Hunting runaways was legal.Jim Crow was legal.Legality is not compass of morality nor true indicator of justice #FreeBree
12:37 PM · Jun 27, 2015·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Nancy Landa
@NancyLandaMX
“Apartheid was ‘legal’
Slavery was ‘legal’
Colonialism was ‘legal’
Legality is a question of power, not one of… http://fb.me/3Wei7EJuK
9:38 PM · Jul 12, 2015·Facebook
   
Twitter
Ingrid Ferlo
@Ingridferlo
“Apartheid was legal,
Slavery was legal,
Colonialism was legal,
Legality is about power not justice.”
question… http://fb.me/7mYtr5pA6
6:02 AM · Jul 13, 2015·Facebook
   
Facebook
Adjunct Justice: Fores’ Forum
July 13, 2015 ·
Apartheid was “legal.” Slavery was “legal.” Colonialism was “legal.” Legality is a question of power, not of justice… via @Desinformemonos (translation mine)
Desinformémonos
July 12, 2015 ·
La legalidad
(The saying is in Spanish.—ed.)
 
Twitter
rafa salamanca
@rafa_salamanca_
Apartheid was legal.
Slavery was legal.
Colonialism was legal.
Legality is a matter of power,
not a matter of justice
7:35 AM · Jul 15, 2015·iOS
   
Twitter
Pio-Carlos Roda aka PCRoda
@PiosRodaman
APARTHEID WAS “LEGAL”
SLAVERY WAS “LEGAL”
THE COLONIALISM WAS “LEGAL”
LEGALITY IS A MATTER OF POWER
NOT OF… http://fb.me/1o5G8G7fy
4:09 PM · Sep 4, 2015·Facebook
 
Facebook 
Church Within A Church Movement
November 22, 2015 ·
Legality is a matter of power, not justice.
(“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image.—ed.)
 
Twitter
Andrew Gibson
@AGstl
Just a reminder: “Legality is a matter of power, not #justice.”
(“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image.—ed.)
10:32 AM · Nov 23, 2015·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Community Coalition
@CoCoSouthLA
Here’s a little history lesson: legality is a matter of power, not justice.
(“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image.—ed.)
2:14 PM · Nov 23, 2015 from Bloomington, CA·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
Ove Poulsen
@ove_poulsen
Legality is a matter of power, not Justice.
(“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image.—ed.)
4:13 PM · Nov 23, 2015·Twitter Web Client
 
Facebook
Be A King
April 7, 2016 ·
“Legality is a matter of power, not justice.”
Apartheid was legal.
The Holocaust was legal.
Slavery was legal.
Colonialism was legal.
Legality is a matter of power, not justice.

       
Twitter
Pamela J. Alexander
@pamelajalexandr
Legality is a matter of POWER, not justice.—Chris Rock
(“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice” is shown on an image, with “Copyright 2016 Chris Rock” and “whosay” at the bottom.—ed.)
9:11 AM · Nov 18, 2016·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Patty Vargas
@Patyv65
Apartheid was legal,
Slavery was legal,
Colonialism was legal,
Holocaust was legal,
Legality is a matter of power, not justice… Chris Rock
10:53 PM · Jan 29, 2017 from Benito Juárez, Distrito Federal·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
Kathryn Perry
@perrywords
Vargas: Legality is a matter of power, not justice. #4c17
1:14 PM · Mar 18, 2017·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
Xiao Xiao
@xiaosquared
Legality is a matter of power, not justice. -Jose Antonio Vargas #DefianceML
2:34 PM · Jul 21, 2017·Twitter for iPhone
 
ACLU (Southern California)
BECAUSE THE LAW IS THE LAW
By Daishi Miguel Tanaka
AUGUST 28, 2017 - 5:00PM
“Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice.” —Jose Antonio Vargas
     
Google Books
Security Studies:
An Introduction (Third Edition)

Edited by Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald
London, UK: Taylor & Francis
2018
Pg. ?:
As a now popular phrase puts it: “Apartheid was legal. Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice.”
   
Twitter
Tamlyn Tomita
@thetamlyntomita
Colonialism was LEGAL. Slavery was LEGAL. Jim Crow was LEGAL. The Holocaust was LEGAL. Japanese-American Concentration Camps were LEGAL. Apartheid was LEGAL. “Legality is a matter of power, NOT justice.”
3:08 PM · Jun 22, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Javeed M
@javeedmg
Colonialism was LEGAL
Slavery was LEGAL
The Holocaust was LEGAL
Jim Crow Laws were LEGAL
Apartheid was LEGAL
Demonetization was LEGAL
Revoking of Article 370 was LEGAL
Legality is a matter of POWER not JUSTICE.
#TuesdayThoughts
3:57 AM · Sep 8, 2020·Twitter Web App