--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's very hard to be a kid, especially in…" description: "\"It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want to police your body and hair.\" — A'Lelia B..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg" --- # It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly… ![“It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want to police your body and hair.” quote by A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg) > “It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want to police your body and hair.” [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being a child of color in a largely white environment subjects you to constant scrutiny and pressure to conform physically and culturally. **In simple terms:** Racialized body policing in youth. Key Takeaway Identity stress from external standards. Themes Racism Identity Social conformity Youth experience Mood Frustration Vulnerability Type Social critique Personal narrative When to use this quote - School settings - Community interactions - Family discussions Key Concepts Body politics Cultural marginalization Practical Applications - Diversity training - Counseling programs Questions to Reflect On - How does visual conformity affect self‑esteem? - What support can reduce policing of appearance? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-hair/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I haven't forgotten what it was like to be a kid; especially a misunderstood one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-meadows/i-haven-t-forgotten-what-it-was-like-to-be-a-kid-especially-a/) [Shane Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-meadows/) > [I wasn't cocky, just confident; I went to an all black school, a white kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/i-wasn-t-cocky-just-confident-i-went-to-an-all-black-school-a-white/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [A white girl disappears from a white prep school in a white suburb. Nobody knows what happened to her. The overall whiteness of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/a-white-girl-disappears-from-a-white-prep-school-in-a-white-suburb/) [Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/) > [I never met a white person till I was a grown man. I never went to school with a white till I was twenty-six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/i-never-met-a-white-person-till-i-was-a-grown-man-i-never-went-to/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [I'm so thankful for my one year at regular high school in White Plains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-damiano/i-m-so-thankful-for-my-one-year-at-regular-high-school-in-white-plains/) [Jennifer Damiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-damiano/) > [You want the good life? You live where white people live, you go to school where white people go to school, and you shop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/you-want-the-good-life-you-live-where-white-people-live-you-go-to/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [If I lived where I live right now, and my kids were in middle school, they would be the only white kids in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/if-i-lived-where-i-live-right-now-and-my-kids-were-in-middle-school/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Everyone talks about how hard it is to have a kid, and that scares you into waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-kershaw/everyone-talks-about-how-hard-it-is-to-have-a-kid-and-that-scares-you-2/) [Clayton Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-kershaw/) > [I remember laughing so hard as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-remember-laughing-so-hard-as-a-kid/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [The reason I play so hard is that somewhere out there is some kid who has never seen me play before, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dimaggio/the-reason-i-play-so-hard-is-that-somewhere-out-there-is-some-kid-who/) [Joe DiMaggio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dimaggio/) > [I've worked very hard since I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/i-ve-worked-very-hard-since-i-was-a-kid/) [Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/) > [I think I'm very hard on myself. I think I've always been very hard on myself since I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-think-i-m-very-hard-on-myself-i-think-i-ve-always-been-very-hard-on/) [David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/) > [“Life is hard, Kid, you gotta be harder. You gotta take it on and fight for it and be a fucking man about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/life-is-hard-kid-you-gotta-be-harder-you-gotta-take-it-on-and-fight/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The road can be hard on a kid if he's not careful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-haley/the-road-can-be-hard-on-a-kid-if-he-s-not-careful/) [Bill Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-haley/) > [The thing that's so hard about being a kid is you don't have enough knowledge to explain things yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/the-thing-that-s-so-hard-about-being-a-kid-is-you-don-t-have-enough/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) ## More by A'Lelia Bundles > [A'Lelia Walker did not subsidize specific writers, but she provided a place for all kinds of people to gather. She was one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/a-lelia-walker-did-not-subsidize-specific-writers-but-she-provided-a/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [For some people, success is a zero sum game. They think that if they push other people out of the way, fewer people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/for-some-people-success-is-a-zero-sum-game-they-think-that-if-they/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [Madam Walker's name gets thrown out as either the savior of black women's hair or she's the evil devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/madam-walker-s-name-gets-thrown-out-as-either-the-savior-of-black/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [Madame Walker selected Indianapolis as the headquarters for her growing business more than a century ago in 1910 because of its central location and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/madame-walker-selected-indianapolis-as-the-headquarters-for-her/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [Why is she Mrs. C.J. Walker? It really was a matter of her trying to insist that people respect her, because during that time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/why-is-she-mrs-c-j-walker-it-really-was-a-matter-of-her-trying-to/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [For more than three years, I'd been part of a complex and frustrating dance as my nonfiction, fact-based material was translated from book to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/for-more-than-three-years-i-d-been-part-of-a-complex-and-frustrating/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [I know of at least two black women who are billionaires: Sheila Johnson, who co-founded BET, and Oprah Winfrey. And I know of hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/i-know-of-at-least-two-black-women-who-are-billionaires-sheila/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [I've found that once people are introduced to Madam Walker's story, they are inspired but also perplexed about why she was omitted from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/i-ve-found-that-once-people-are-introduced-to-madam-walker-s-story/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [I was like other teenagers in the late 1960s; I too was very interested in having an Afro and getting rid of the perm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/i-was-like-other-teenagers-in-the-late-1960s-i-too-was-very/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [I love people who have really long locs. 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Until 'Roots'... there was nothing in the popular culture to refute the paragraph in elementary school history class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/every-ethnic-group-has-a-mythology-until-roots-there-was-nothing-in/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [There are literally hundreds of stories about women of color that haven't been told that are amazing, fantastic, better than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/there-are-literally-hundreds-of-stories-about-women-of-color-that/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) [Explore all 70 A'Lelia Bundles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want to police your body and hair.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A'Lelia Bundles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in-a-predominantly-white-school/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Body" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in-a-predominantly-white-school/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/a-lelia-bundles-9724_body_it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in_2771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want…” — A'Lelia Bundles", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "A'Lelia Bundles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's very hard to be a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in-a-predominantly-white-school/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in-a-predominantly-white-school/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```