“I try really hard to ask people to take a look at their bookshelves. Are there female writers on it? Gay writers? Writers of color? There should be.” PeopleShouldTryingLooksHardAsksColorGayFemaleBookshelvesFemale Writers Author:Jodi Picoult
“The three greatest people in my life as a young person were white, my high school superintendent, my high school coach and a - I graduate in Manhasset High, Kenneth Molloy who's a mentor to yours truly.I'm not a person that really deal in color.” PeoplePersonsSchoolYoungThreeWhiteDealsColorHigh SchoolCoachesGraduatesMentorKennethSuperintendents Author:Jim Brown
“Smaller incidents in my life made me realize that language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.” PeopleMadeLanguageRealizingColorWho You AreIncidents Author:Trevor Noah
“The fact that's why the prisons and stock in private prisons rose the very day after the election results [for Donald Trump] were announced. The fact that progress that was made for people of color, for women, for LGBTQ people, are all at risk.” PeopleMadeFactsResultsProgressRiskColorTrumpElectionPrisonRoseElection ResultsPrivate Prisons Author:Ava DuVernay
“I'm perfectly happy to admit that insecurity. It doesn't bother me. It's there, just the same as the color of my eyes is there. I'm never going to get rid of it. I'm not going to wake up one morning and really like the way I look, but as long as other people like the way I look, that's fine.” PeopleWayLooksLongEyeMorningColorFineWake UpBotherInsecurity Author:George Michael
“When I was in Mecca I noticed that their, they had no color problem. That they had people there whose eyes were blue and people there whose eyes were black, people whose skin was white, people whose skin was black, people whose hair was blond, people whose hair was black, from the whitest white person to the blackest black person.” PeoplePersonsProblemEyeBlackWhiteColorHairSkinsBlueBlack PeopleMeccaBlack Person Author:Malcolm X
“People of color are not under any kind of obligation beyond working hard, doing their best, and learning from their mistakes.” PeopleKindHardMistakeColorObligation Author:Roxane Gay
“Donald Trump is a man who was the star of a network reality show that helped to create templates for the abysmally biased way in which women and people of color, in particular women of color, have been treated in reality TV for the last decade and a half.” PeopleMenWayHas BeensShowsRealityLastsStarsHalfParticularColorTvsTrumpDecadesTreatedBiasedReality TvReality Shows Author:Jennifer Pozner
“When I started, I was aware of using the black as a rhetorical device. It's understanding that black people come in a wide range of colors, but you find instances in a lot of black literature in which the blackness is used as a metaphor.” PeopleUsedLiteratureUnderstandingBlackColorMetaphorWideInstanceRangeDevicesBlack PeopleBlacknessRhetorical Author:Kerry James Marshall
“If you look at the families who live below the poverty line, only 47% of them have internet access at home. And of that low income population, they are disproportionately urban and people of color, which makes it a social justice issue.” PeopleIfsLooksHomeSocialLinesJusticePovertyIssuesColorInternetLowsSocial JusticePopulationAccessIncomeUrbanLow IncomeInternet Access Author:David L. Cohen
“After 9/11, people all of a sudden became patriotic and showed the colors. Why did it take something bad to happen? It means something. People have died for it, and continue to do so.” PeopleMeanHappensColorDiedPatriotic Author:Gene Simmons
“I think we're starved for a life of the senses. We're in the garage, we're in the car, we drive to work, we're in a windowless cubicle that's gray and beige. In a way, it's funny that we consider ourselves an advanced culture, because people who live in so-called primitive environments still enjoy the richness of the smells, colors, and sounds of our world. We all crave that.” PeopleThinkingWorldWayStillsCultureEnjoySoundEnvironmentCarColorSmellSensesOur WorldGrayPrimitiveCraveRichnessGarageCubicles Author:Janet Fitch
“The fact that women have been moving forward, that a woman was running for president, that we had a black president - I think there was, without a doubt, a whitelash and a complete backlash against the liberation of women, against the power of people of color.” PeopleThinkingHas BeensFactsRunningMovingBlackPresidentDoubtColorMoving ForwardLiberationBacklash Author:Eve Ensler
“I think that we will come out on top as women, as people of color, as Muslims, as transgender people, as people who are part of the disabled community - I think that we'll come out on top.” PeopleThinkingCommunityColorTransgenderDisabled Author:Ibtihaj Muhammad
“Anybody who's a mythology ... there's always a fear. That's why we don't like people whose skin color is different, whose eye slant is different, or whose worship is different. It makes them feel insecure. So we strike out. The thing that bothers me most about the Christian church today is that we spend our time confirming people in their own sense of wretchedness.” PeopleFeelsDifferentEyeTodayChristianChurchColorWorshipSkinsStrikesMythologyBotherOur TimeInsecureChristian ChurchWretchednessSkin ColorChurch Today Author:John Shelby Spong
“As a kid growing up and seeing so much strife taking place in society, and particularly on Blacks and people of color, I had an opportunity as a young man to witness the change that was taking place in Harlem, the exodus of white folks leaving Harlem, which I thought was a very cohesive situation. But they felt that they needed to leave.” PeopleMenKidsYoungOpportunityFeltWhiteSituationGrowing UpGrowingSeeingColorNeededLeavingFolksWitnessYoung ManStrifeHarlemKids Growing UpExodus Author:John Carlos
“Becoming involved in sports and traveling the world and seeing how people of color were treated around the world, and America being such a great nation, probably the greatest nation in the world, I think that the thing that would destroy this nation more than anything is the inequality that we have amongst people of color.” PeopleThinkingWorldAmericaNationsSportsSeeingColorBecomingInvolvedTreatedInequalityAround The WorldGreat NationsBecoming Involved Author:John Carlos
“The black socks [on me at Olympics in 1968] emphasized the fact that we had so many Blacks and people of color here in the United States, the greatest country in the world, that was running around in poverty every day, so we wanted to illustrate the fact that these individuals did not have shoes and they had to walk 20 miles to and from school every day with no shoes in the greatest country in the world.” PeopleWorldCountryStatesFactsRunningWantedSchoolIndividualBlackWalksUnitedPovertyUnited StatesColorShoesMilesOlympicsSock Author:John Carlos
“America always put forth this phony melting pot theory, but it's a reality now. They couldn't accomplish the melting pot economically; they couldn't accomplish it politically, or through education and science. But America has become a consumer society, and I see young people in the cities - of all colors and races - hanging out together over consumerism.” PeopleRealityTogetherAmericaYoungRaceCitiesColorTheoryAccomplishConsumersHanging OutPotConsumerismMeltingPhonyMelting Pot Author:Russell Means
“A greater truth that I think we are faced with on a day-to-day basis as minorities is: We are the color of skin first and people second.” PeopleThinkingFirstsGreaterColorSkinsBasesMinoritiesDay To Day Author:Jordan Peele
“[Crack epidemic] definitely has impacted folks in my family, most definitely. I think that's true for most, if not all people, regardless of color, that grew up in and around areas that were closer to the nucleus of the crack epidemic.If you look at Baltimore or D.C., Detroit, Chicago, Oakland, like, Los Angeles.” PeopleIfsThinkingLooksColorGrewGrew UpAreasMy FamilyFolksLos AngelesCracksChicagoDetroitEpidemicsBaltimoreNucleusOakland Author:Mahershala Ali
“Back when I played, basketball was all about fundamentals, about hustling, getting those loose balls, all those rebounds under the basket. That equals up to 12, 14, 16 points. You can lose a game with that much. It's different watching basketball now. People don't play the same way. It doesn't matter if you score, if you can't stop the other team from scoring. Our coach used to kick our ass if we didn't. I was told if you saw more of the other team color under the basket than your own team color, you ain't doing your job. Everybody should be under the board, trying to get that ball.” PeopleIfsWayShouldTryingDifferentMatterPlayJobsUsedGamesLosesSawsTeamColorBasketballBallsFundamentalsCoachesAssBoardsKicksScoreHustleBasketsBack WhenRebound Author:Leslie Jones
“The people that say diversity is the reason for the greatness are purposely assaulting the United States as founded. They want you to believe that America was only great for a few people as founded, because, as founded, America was gigantically discriminating against the poor and against people of color and against transgenders. Yeah, I've read the Federalist Papers, you know. James Madison, he wasn't popular with the transgender group back then. Did you know that? You won't find the word. It was not a factor, the way they have attempted to modernize things here today. It's just lies.” PeopleKnowsWayWantBelieveStatesReasonTodayAmericaLyingPoorUnitedUnited StatesGroupsGreatnessColorPaperDiversityYeahFactorsPapersTransgenderDid You KnowMadisonFederalistFederalist Papers Author:Rush Limbaugh
“One important thing I take away daily is that for all the talk about what youth are not doing - especially young people of color - I know there are many who do care about their future, who are striving to affect their world in a positive way.” PeopleKnowsWorldWayImportantCareYoungYouthColorImportant ThingsStrive Author:Renee Watson
“I started asking friends, my white friends around, I said, "What's something that you think all Asians have in common?" They almost always immediately said, "Slanted eyes." I thought that's really interesting. No. 1, it simply isn't true. Not all Asian Americans have slanted eyes, and of course, Asians aren't the only ethnic identities to have them. No. 2, we could talk about our slant on life and what it's like to be people of color, while at the same time, using this outdated and obscure racial slur, and turning it on its head.” PeopleThinkingSaidEyeCoursesWhiteInterestingCommonIdentityColorAskingObscureAsianReally InterestingOutdatedAsian AmericanSlursEthnic Identity Author:Simon Tam
“If we write our laws and design them around the most privileged members of society, i.e., billionaire football team owner, then we forget about the people who don't have the same resources to make an appeal, to fight a wrongful accusation. Those tend to be members of the LGBT community and people of color because those are the people who tend to engage in the work of reappropriation to subvert discrimination. And yet those are the same ones being denied, based on their own identities.” PeopleIfsWritingLawFightingCommunityForgetTeamDesignIdentityFootballColorMembersResourcesDiscriminationAppealsOwnersLgbtDeniedPrivilegedBillionaireAccusationFootball TeamLgbt Community Author:Simon Tam
“If a Republican came along and suggested free abortions for people on Medicaid, the first person to stand up would be Jesse Jackson and start shouting, "Racism!" And then Al Sharpton wouldn't be as far behind, and they would call it an attempt to eliminate people of color by the dastardly, rascally Republicans. But yet Hillary Clinton is proposing it and is being feted, praised to the heavens for such a compassionate plan. The Democrats are wiping out their own people. That's why they need open borders for replacements to be brought in ASAP.” PeopleIfsNeedsFirstsPersonsWould BeHeavenBehindsPlansColorRepublicanRacismClintonDemocratBordersAbortionAlsCompassionateShoutingFirst PersonReplacementsMedicaidWiping Out Author:Rush Limbaugh
“When I first saw a White Dutch person dressed up as Black Pete, I was both sickened and shocked. It's hard to stand next to someone who views your skin color and hair as a costume. As a filmmaker, whenever I get that feeling, I want to explore what motivates people to engage in such offensive behavior and enlighten folks about its origins.” PeopleWantFirstsPersonsHardFeelingsNextBlackWhiteViewsSawsColorHairBehaviorSkinsFolksFilmmakerOffensiveShockedCostumesEnlighteningDutchDressed UpSkin Color Author:Roger Ross Williams
“My readers are as diverse as any group you will ever see. Something that booksellers always tell me. That they are always surprised at the kind of people that come to my readings. That they are such a mix of ages and colors. It looks like people spilling out of an elevator.” PeopleLooksKindAgeReadingGroupsColorReaderDiverseElevatorsSpillingBooksellers Author:Sandra Cisneros
“I hope to encourage some people out there, especially all the mixed, curly-headed babies of the world, stand up, we are here! But just people in general, it really doesn't matter. Judge a man on his actions, his words, not the color of his skin or the race, or where he grew up.” PeopleMenWorldMatterActionRaceColorJudgingBabyGrewGrew UpSkins Author:Kevin michael
“Part of what depresses me so much about football is that it's so clearly about exploiting people, most of them poor boys of color, because of what they can do to entertain us, not because we have any genuine concern for them as people.” PeopleCan DoPoorBoysFootballColorConcernGenuineDepressingPoor BoyGenuine Concern Author:Steve Almond
“The amount of interaction, the amount of understanding that exists in your generation among people of different races and different creeds and different colors is unprecedented. And by the way, that goes - that cuts across party lines, that cuts across partisan lines.” PeopleWayDifferentUnderstandingLinesPartyRaceCuttingGenerationsColorAmountInteractionCreedsUnprecedentedPartisansDifferent ColorsDifferent Races Author:Barack Obama
“We need a whole bunch of books about people of color, kids on the spectrum, etc. It's strange that we have a population of school children that is majority nonwhite but their books are majority white.” PeopleNeedsChildrenBookWholeKidsSchoolWhiteStrangeColorMajorityPopulationBunchEtcSpectrum Author:Kekla Magoon
“We need heroes of color in all different genres. It's also valuable for white readers to be able to meet people in books that are different than themselves. That can be a way of expanding their minds and experiences.” PeopleWayNeedsMindBookDifferentAbleWhiteColorReaderHeroValuableGenreExpandingDifferent Genres Author:Kekla Magoon
“The mass incarceration of poor people of color, particularly black men, has emerged as a new caste system, one specifically designed to address the social, economic, and political challenges of our time.” PeopleMenPoliticalSocialBlackChallengesPoorEconomicColorMassOur TimeAddressesPoor PeopleCastesIncarcerationCaste SystemMass Incarceration Author:Michelle Alexander
“We have more families at risk with the death penalty. It targets the voiceless, the poor, people of color. And so it's important just to understand what your government is doing and how much they are spending.” PeopleImportantGovernmentPoorRiskColorSpendingTargetPenaltiesPoor PeopleDeath PenaltyVoiceless Author:Susan Sarandon
“What has changed since the collapse of Jim Crow has less to do with the basic structure of our society than with the language we use to justify it. In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. So we don't. Rather than rely on race, we use our criminal justice system to label people of color "criminals" and then engage in all the practices we supposedly left behind.” PeopleUseLeftLanguageSocialJusticeRaceBehindsPracticeChangedColorStructureCriminalsDiscriminationLabelsErasRelyOur SocietyJustifyContemptCollapseJustificationLeft BehindCrowJustice SystemExclusionCriminal JusticeJim CrowCriminal Justice System Author:Michelle Alexander
“The mythology around colorblindness leads people to imagine that if poor kids of color are failing or getting locked up in large numbers, it must be something wrong with them. It leads young kids of color to look around and say: "There must be something wrong with me, there must be something wrong with us. Is there something inherent, something different about me, about us as a people, that leads us to fail so often, that leads us to live in these miserable conditions, that leads us to go in and out of prison?"” PeopleIfsLooksDifferentKidsYoungPoorNumbersImagineFailingConditionsColorPrisonMythologyMiserableLockedImagine ThatInherentLarge NumbersLocked Up Author:Michelle Alexander
“I think this mythology - that we're all beyond race, of course our police officers aren't racist, of course our politicians don't mean any harm to people of color - this idea that we're beyond all that (so it must be something else) makes it difficult for young people as well as the grown-ups to be able to see clearly and honestly the truth of what's going on. It makes it difficult to see that the backlash against the Civil Rights Movement manifested itself in the form of mass incarceration, in the form of defunding and devaluing schools serving kids of color and all the rest.” PeopleThinkingWellsMeanIdeasKidsAbleSchoolFormYoungCoursesDifficultRaceRightsMovementColorPoliticianMassPoliceHarmHonestlyMythologyCivil RightsRacistServingOfficersCivil Rights MovementPolice OfficerIncarcerationBacklashMass Incarceration Author:Michelle Alexander
“I definitely feel like it took me a while to learn the baseline things you have to do if you want people to hear you. That's why I've had the same haircut for the entire time that I've been on television and that's why I wear literally the same jacket every day. I keep all the clothes I wear on TV in my office on a little hanging rack. My girlfriend calls it all the colors of the German rainbow. Grays, blacks, a slightly greenish gray for the days that I'm feeling particularly festive. I'm not trying to accomplish anything in the way I look other than to be boring enough for people to hear me.” PeopleIfsWayWantFeelsTryingLooksLittlesEnoughFeelingsTelevisionColorTvsOfficeClothesBoringAccomplishGirlfriendGrayRainbowJacketsMy GirlfriendHaircutsRacksFestive Author:Rachel Maddow
“It became inescapable that as conservatives were wrong about people of color, they were also wrong about women. They were wrong about gay people. The only individual freedoms they seemed to get exercised about were the freedom to make a profit and the freedom to own a gun.” PeopleIndividualColorGayGunProfitGay PeopleIndividual Freedom Author:Steve Erickson
“Most Americans violate drug laws in their lifetime, but the enemy in this war has been racially defined. Not by accident, the drug war has been waged almost exclusively in poor communities of color, even though studies have consistently shown - for decades - the people of color are no more likely to use or sell illegal drugs than whites.” PeopleHas BeensWarUseLawCommunityPoorEnemyStudyColorDrugSellsLifetimeAccidentsDecadesDefinedIllegalConsistentlyWar On DrugsIllegal DrugsDrug Laws Author:Michelle Alexander
“Many people don't realize that financial incentives have been built into the drug war that guarantee that law enforcement will continue to arrest extraordinary numbers of people, particularly in poor communities of color, for minor drug offenses that get ignored on the other side of town.” PeopleHas BeensWarLawSidesRealizingCommunityPoorNumbersColorDrugBuiltTownsExtraordinaryFinancialGuaranteesMinorsOffenseIgnoredLaw EnforcementEnforcementIncentivesWar On DrugsGuarantees That Author:Michelle Alexander
“The fact that people of all colors have been ensnared by the drug war helps to preserve the system as a whole from serious critique, as it creates the impression - at a glance - that the war is being waged in an unbiased manner, even when nothing could be further from the truth.” PeopleHas BeensWarWholeFactsHelpingColorSeriousDrugImpressionPreservesGlancesCritiqueWar On DrugsUnbiased Author:Michelle Alexander
“People charged with drug offenses, though, are typically poor people of color. They are routinely charged with felonies and sent to prison.” PeoplePoorColorDrugPrisonOffensePoor PeopleFelony Author:Michelle Alexander
“You can't just pick people for their hair color or the shape of their face. You have to go with the best actors.” PeopleFacesActorsColorHairShapesPicks Author:George R. R. Martin
“The process of creating art allows me to learn about the subject I'm illustrating. So, if I want to learn more about plantation life and slavery, I try to find clients that will give me an opportunity to work on projects that will visualize those experiences of the enslaved African and people of color. I get to learn about my roots, and my artwork allows the reader into that world by creating images that are accessible.” PeopleIfsWorldWantGivingTryingArtOpportunityProcessSubjectsColorReaderProjectsCreatingRootsGive MeSlaveryClientsArtworkPlantationsCreating ArtIllustrating Author:Jerry Pinkney
“I keep wanting people to realize that there needs to be a tidal wave of peace and love. People should be treated with love and respect regardless of the color of their skin or their sexual preference. We need to keep saying that as much as we can and as loud as we can.” PeopleNeedsShouldRealizingColorSkinsAnd LoveWaveTreatedLoudPreferencePeace And LoveLove And RespectTidal Waves Author:Jim James
“In America, there's a very long tradition of a comic strip that comes in newspapers, which is not true all over the world. To sell papers, they put color comics in. It's worked, up until now. Now these papers can't afford it. They always had minuscule ad budgets, and now the things which people probably read these papers for are gone.” PeopleWorldLongAmericaGoneColorPaperTraditionSellsNewspapersComicBudgetsAdsPapersComic Strips Author:Ben Katchor