--- title: "10 Black Quotes By John Ridley" description: "10 Black quotes by John Ridley. Plus more from John Ridley and more Black sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/john-ridley-4100_black_i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience_1367019.jpg" --- > [I can tell you from personal experience it gets a little tiring having to make the rounds on cable shows to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience-it-gets-a-little-tiring/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/john-ridley-4100_black_i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience_1367019.jpg) > [Certainly as a kid, I grew up with Batman, Superman, whoever - they didn't need to be black for me to relate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/certainly-as-a-kid-i-grew-up-with-batman-superman-whoever-they-didn-t/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/john-ridley-4100_along_certainly-as-a-kid-i-grew-up-with-batman_659784.jpg) > [It's not that white guys shouldn't be allowed to engage in discussions on race in America. But there's nothing more exhausting than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/it-s-not-that-white-guys-shouldn-t-be-allowed-to-engage-in/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/john-ridley-4100_allowed_it-s-not-that-white-guys-shouldn-t-be-al_3222331.jpg) > [White folks, no matter how well-meaning or open-minded, have no true idea what it's like to be black in America. That's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-or-open-minded-have-no-true/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/john-ridley-4100_accusation_white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-o_1240475.jpg) > [I still have my first 'Black Lightning' that I got way back in the day, and my first 'Steel.' And I proudly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-still-have-my-first-black-lightning-that-i-got-way-back-in-the-day/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/john-ridley-4100_among_i-still-have-my-first-black-lightning-th_372456.jpg) > [As an individual, and I have to say as a person of color, the thing about being an 'other' in America is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/as-an-individual-and-i-have-to-say-as-a-person-of-color-the-thing/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/john-ridley-4100_about_as-an-individual-and-i-have-to-say-as-a_1276964.jpg) > [It is time to celebrate the New Black Americans - those who have sealed the Deal, who aren't beholden to liberal indulgence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/it-is-time-to-celebrate-the-new-black-americans-those-who-have-sealed/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/john-ridley-4100_achievement_it-is-time-to-celebrate-the-new-black-am_1280556.jpg) > [To this day, the only argument against Obama that critics can seem to come up with involves admitting he's better than them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/to-this-day-the-only-argument-against-obama-that-critics-can-seem-to/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b3/john-ridley-4100_actually_to-this-day-the-only-argument-against-ob_1151508.jpg) > [Governmental intervention and personal responsibility are not mutually exclusive issues, but they do frame a 'do it ourselves' vs. 'what are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/governmental-intervention-and-personal-responsibility-are-not/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/john-ridley-4100_back_governmental-intervention-and-personal-r_553364.jpg) > [For children, diversity needs to be real and not merely relegated to learning the names of the usual suspects during Black History…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real-and-not-merely-relegated-to/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/john-ridley-4100_be-real_for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real_107809.jpg) ## Other authors on Black ## More by John Ridley > [The hypocrisy and false piety of the deniers aside, the relationships of gays have no effect on heteros. Especially all the heteros who've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/the-hypocrisy-and-false-piety-of-the-deniers-aside-the-relationships/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [If art is singular expression, then by nature, the best art is controversial. But when art stirs debate for reasons besides its artistic integrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/if-art-is-singular-expression-then-by-nature-the-best-art-is/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [While most trudge through their days straight-jacketed in the social compact, living for others as much as or more than for themselves, a select…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/while-most-trudge-through-their-days-straight-jacketed-in-the-social/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Why is it that the very people who have fought so hard and so long for the simple entitlement to love whom they choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/why-is-it-that-the-very-people-who-have-fought-so-hard-and-so-long/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [There are any number of very hard working people in Hollywood who deserve recognition. Mostly its the artisans and crafts persons - the 'below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/there-are-any-number-of-very-hard-working-people-in-hollywood-who/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [For children, diversity needs to be real and not merely relegated to learning the names of the usual suspects during Black History Month or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real-and-not-merely-relegated-to/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Conservative talkers love to throw numbers around: their ratings and their audience size. And to be sure, they have a sizable audience which numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/conservative-talkers-love-to-throw-numbers-around-their-ratings-and/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Just mention the idea of warrantless wiretaps and expect to get hit up with a congressional investigation. But give somebody an avatar and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/just-mention-the-idea-of-warrantless-wiretaps-and-expect-to-get-hit/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [As long as we remain committed to holding high our individuals of supreme finish, others will be inspired to loose themselves of the gravity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/as-long-as-we-remain-committed-to-holding-high-our-individuals-of/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [When people come in the door and they have something, discovering and exploring the character is a real joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/when-people-come-in-the-door-and-they-have-something-discovering-and/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Fact is, awards shows were never really about recognizing achievement. They were a publicity ploy cooked up in the late 1920s by MGM topper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/fact-is-awards-shows-were-never-really-about-recognizing-achievement/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [I love graphic novels - I love reading them, I enjoyed writing them, I would love to go back and do them again. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-love-graphic-novels-i-love-reading-them-i-enjoyed-writing-them-i/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [So, is Hollywood anti-religion? Not in my opinion. But unlike, say, politicians and preachers who talk faith before going off to speak in tongues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/so-is-hollywood-anti-religion-not-in-my-opinion-but-unlike-say/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that sincerely. I had done a film a long time ago called 'Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and-i-mean-that-sincerely-i-had/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Quite simply, quite plainly, just by virtue of his being, Barack Obama is America. The first true American to lead our nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/quite-simply-quite-plainly-just-by-virtue-of-his-being-barack-obama/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/john-ridley/#itemlist", "name": "10 Black Quotes By John Ridley", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can tell you from personal experience it gets a little tiring having to make the rounds on cable shows to explain 'what's up with black folks.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience-it-gets-a-little-tiring/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/john-ridley-4100_black_i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience_1367019.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/john-ridley-4100_black_i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience_1367019.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/john-ridley-4100_black_i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience_1367019.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I can tell you from personal experience it gets a little tiring having to make the rounds on cable shows to…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Certainly as a kid, I grew up with Batman, Superman, whoever - they didn't need to be black for me to relate to them. But when a character like Cyborg came along, I got excited, because he looked a little bit more like me; his experiences were a little bit more like mine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/certainly-as-a-kid-i-grew-up-with-batman-superman-whoever-they-didn-t/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/john-ridley-4100_along_certainly-as-a-kid-i-grew-up-with-batman_659784.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/john-ridley-4100_along_certainly-as-a-kid-i-grew-up-with-batman_659784.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/john-ridley-4100_along_certainly-as-a-kid-i-grew-up-with-batman_659784.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Certainly as a kid, I grew up with Batman, Superman, whoever - they didn't need to be black for me to relate…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not that white guys shouldn't be allowed to engage in discussions on race in America. But there's nothing more exhausting than white male liberals' dogmatisms on race that were clearly formed during a conversation they had with that one black guy they met back in college.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/it-s-not-that-white-guys-shouldn-t-be-allowed-to-engage-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/john-ridley-4100_allowed_it-s-not-that-white-guys-shouldn-t-be-al_3222331.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/john-ridley-4100_allowed_it-s-not-that-white-guys-shouldn-t-be-al_3222331.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b06/john-ridley-4100_allowed_it-s-not-that-white-guys-shouldn-t-be-al_3222331.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not that white guys shouldn't be allowed to engage in discussions on race in America. 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But the fact is that we all live in an Anglo-dominated society.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-or-open-minded-have-no-true/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/john-ridley-4100_accusation_white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-o_1240475.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/john-ridley-4100_accusation_white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-o_1240475.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/893/john-ridley-4100_accusation_white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-o_1240475.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“White folks, no matter how well-meaning or open-minded, have no true idea what it's like to be black in…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I still have my first 'Black Lightning' that I got way back in the day, and my first 'Steel.' And I proudly display those comics, by the way. I have a lot of comics, but those are among the ones that mean the most to me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-still-have-my-first-black-lightning-that-i-got-way-back-in-the-day/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/john-ridley-4100_among_i-still-have-my-first-black-lightning-th_372456.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/john-ridley-4100_among_i-still-have-my-first-black-lightning-th_372456.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/121/john-ridley-4100_among_i-still-have-my-first-black-lightning-th_372456.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I still have my first 'Black Lightning' that I got way back in the day, and my first 'Steel.' And I proudly…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As an individual, and I have to say as a person of color, the thing about being an 'other' in America is I really feel like you're bilingual. I'm from a small town in Wisconsin, but even when I'm in New York and I'm working for MSNBC or CNN, you're used to being the only black person in the room.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/as-an-individual-and-i-have-to-say-as-a-person-of-color-the-thing/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/john-ridley-4100_about_as-an-individual-and-i-have-to-say-as-a_1276964.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/john-ridley-4100_about_as-an-individual-and-i-have-to-say-as-a_1276964.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/john-ridley-4100_about_as-an-individual-and-i-have-to-say-as-a_1276964.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As an individual, and I have to say as a person of color, the thing about being an 'other' in America is I…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is time to celebrate the New Black Americans - those who have sealed the Deal, who aren't beholden to liberal indulgence any more than they are to the disdain of the hard Right. It is time to praise blacks who are merely undeniable in their individuality and exemplary in their levels of achievement.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/it-is-time-to-celebrate-the-new-black-americans-those-who-have-sealed/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/john-ridley-4100_achievement_it-is-time-to-celebrate-the-new-black-am_1280556.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/john-ridley-4100_achievement_it-is-time-to-celebrate-the-new-black-am_1280556.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b0/john-ridley-4100_achievement_it-is-time-to-celebrate-the-new-black-am_1280556.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is time to celebrate the New Black Americans - those who have sealed the Deal, who aren't beholden to…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To this day, the only argument against Obama that critics can seem to come up with involves admitting he's better than them - though they certainly season it with some racism. You know, he's that lucky black man who actually appeals to the populace. He's that elitist who got himself off food stamps and into Harvard.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/to-this-day-the-only-argument-against-obama-that-critics-can-seem-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b3/john-ridley-4100_actually_to-this-day-the-only-argument-against-ob_1151508.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b3/john-ridley-4100_actually_to-this-day-the-only-argument-against-ob_1151508.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b3/john-ridley-4100_actually_to-this-day-the-only-argument-against-ob_1151508.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To this day, the only argument against Obama that critics can seem to come up with involves admitting he's…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Governmental intervention and personal responsibility are not mutually exclusive issues, but they do frame a 'do it ourselves' vs. 'what are you doing for us' debate. For the black community, that's a debate that's been raging at least as far back as the W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington philosophical grudge matches.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/governmental-intervention-and-personal-responsibility-are-not/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/john-ridley-4100_back_governmental-intervention-and-personal-r_553364.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/john-ridley-4100_back_governmental-intervention-and-personal-r_553364.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/john-ridley-4100_back_governmental-intervention-and-personal-r_553364.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Governmental intervention and personal responsibility are not mutually exclusive issues, but they do frame a…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For children, diversity needs to be real and not merely relegated to learning the names of the usual suspects during Black History Month or enjoying south-of-the-border cuisine on Cinco de Mayo. It means talking to and spending time with kids not like them so that they may discover those kids are in fact just like them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ridley" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real-and-not-merely-relegated-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/john-ridley-4100_be-real_for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real_107809.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/john-ridley-4100_be-real_for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real_107809.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/john-ridley-4100_be-real_for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real_107809.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For children, diversity needs to be real and not merely relegated to learning the names of the usual…” — John Ridley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/john-ridley/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/john-ridley/", "name": "Black Quotes by John Ridley", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/john-ridley/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/john-ridley-4100_black_i-can-tell-you-from-personal-experience_1367019.jpg" }, "description": "10 Black quotes by John Ridley. 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