347 Quotes About Racism-in-america

American Soup"We've taken the lid off, the pot is boiling over.Watch yourself, don't touch itlest you burn and bear the scarsof that good ole American melting potthat’s cracking under the weight of its faux democracy.

Just because you know me does not mean that I am not black. I am black. I am thankfully black. I am black just like the person you are hurling your insult at. On the way to them, it hits me. I'm Colin Kaepernick black. Protesting oppression black. Not-so-sure about the National Anthem black. Skeptical of the Pledge of Allegiance black. I'm George Floyd black. At times, leery of law enforcement black. Don't trust the system black.I'm not different.I am no exception.

It is not our differences that separate us. It is the denial of the beauty and rightness of those differences that separate us.

Our world is not colorless. It is colorful, and we're better for it.

Nigger...It felt sharper than normal. It wasn't friendly from a friend. The laughable part is that's all he had. The moniker passed down from his great, great grandfather and them. It had made its way to another generation of limited thinkers. Limited speakers. Limited young men. Limited. That's all he had. He didn't have the words. He didn't have the power. He didn't have the control.

Cars slowed down as they passed. White drivers with white passengers. White parents with white children, watching. Not seeing, I imagine, three innocent black boys being harassed by racist police officers. Seeing three black criminals being brought to justice. Young minds being shaped into wrong thinking. Generational ignorance being reinforced through misconstrued observation.

If you ask Denny, he will tell you: "I'm a patriot. I love my country." A country that doesn't love him back. Doesn't love him black. A patriot. Let that register. A black patriot. In a country that won't acknowledge that Black Lives Matter.

Change your default. Take the risk of expecting the next black man you encounter to more likely be an opportunity than a threat. Productive rather than pitiful. Human rather than hurtful. Dependable rather than destructive. A man, rather than a menace. Change your default. It's true, some will let you down. Some of your race have let you down too. But, your default view of your race hasn't likely changed.

I could recognize the look in the lead officer's eyes. It reminded me of the cop on Lester Street in White Cloud. I was his target. I didn't know why, but he was focused on me, just as I was honing in on him. The other officer was his accompanist. He marched to the cadence of a non-rhythmic drum. he moved closer slower, while my heart beat faster.