Quote by Teju Cole: “To be a citizen is to be active in the world.”

This quote defines citizenship not merely as a legal status but as a call to engagement. It suggests that being a true citizen involves actively participating in and contributing to the world around you, taking responsibility for the collective good, and shaping society through your actions.

Written during a period of heightened social and political awareness globally, this statement reflects Cole's consistent advocacy for conscious engagement with contemporary issues, urging individuals to transcend passive observation.

Nigerian-American writer and photographer whose debut novel Open City won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award in 2012. His work fuses memoir, criticism, and fiction to examine race, movement, and identity in the postcolonial world.