In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

The statement contrasts overt hostility with passive complicity. It suggests that active opposition is expected, even legible; what wounds more deeply—and what history judges more harshly—is the refusal of friends and would-be allies to speak or act when justice is at stake. The quote frames silence as a moral choice with consequences, implying that neutrality in the face of oppression effectively sustains the status quo. In civil-rights terms, it is a warning that movements depend not only on confronting enemies but also on overcoming the inertia, fear, or self-interest that keeps sympathetic people quiet. Its enduring power lies in shifting responsibility onto bystanders.