--- title: "9 People-of-color Quotes by 8 authors" description: "Browse 9 People-of-color quotes by 8 authors. Discover the best People-of-color sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/cynthia-briggs-229677_children-s-books_to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listen_1466133.jpg" --- > [“To be a good writer, become a good listener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-briggs/to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listener/) [Cynthia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-briggs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/cynthia-briggs-229677_children-s-books_to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listen_1466133.jpg) > [“Your beauty will be in shades of melanin and light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-ys-perez/your-beauty-will-be-in-shades-of-melanin-and-light/) [R. YS Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-ys-perez/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/r-ys-perez-18712_beauty_your-beauty-will-be-in-shades-of-melanin_1233050.jpg) > [“My family is like America; we are a blend of melanin and uncertain borders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-ys-perez/my-family-is-like-america-we-are-a-blend-of-melanin-and-uncertain/) [R. YS Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-ys-perez/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/r-ys-perez-18712_america_my-family-is-like-america-we-are-a-blend_54814.jpg) > [“Before that no one thought of us as colored-foreign maybe, exotic and dark, but not colored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/before-that-no-one-thought-of-us-as-colored-foreign-maybe-exotic-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/neil-gaiman-29_american-gods_before-that-no-one-thought-of-us-as-colo_3191088.jpg) > [“You know what Black means? BLACK means Brave, BLACK means Leaderly, BLACK means Adventurous, BLACK means Considerate, BLACK means Kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/you-know-what-black-means-black-means-brave-black-means-leaderly/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/abhijit-naskar-99_anti-racism_you-know-what-black-means-black-means-br_2664989.jpg) > [“As a person of color in America, you need to fly to reach the hallowed gates of wealth and mainstream success while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wajahat-ali/as-a-person-of-color-in-america-you-need-to-fly-to-reach-the-hallowed/) [Wajahat Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wajahat-ali/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/wajahat-ali-110342_america_as-a-person-of-color-in-america-you-need_1268408.jpg) > [“Labelling is no longer a liberating political act but a necessity in order to gain entrance into the academic industrial complex and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krysta-williams/labelling-is-no-longer-a-liberating-political-act-but-a-necessity-in/) [Krysta Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krysta-williams/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/krysta-williams-125869_academia_labelling-is-no-longer-a-liberating-poli_2237135.jpg) > [“First off, as has been well stated by many Indigenous Feminists before us, the idea of gender equality did not come from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-konsmo/first-off-as-has-been-well-stated-by-many-indigenous-feminists-before/) [Erin Konsmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-konsmo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/erin-konsmo-236447_feminism_first-off-as-has-been-well-stated-by-man_2676791.jpg) > [“Look, without our stories, without the true nature and reality of who we are as People of Color, nothing about fanboy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/look-without-our-stories-without-the-true-nature-and-reality-of-who/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/junot-diaz-531_culture_look-without-our-stories-without-the-tru_2953391.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-of-color/#itemlist", "name": "People-of-color Quotes", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To be a good writer, become a good listener.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cynthia Briggs" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-briggs/to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listener/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/cynthia-briggs-229677_children-s-books_to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listen_1466133.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/cynthia-briggs-229677_children-s-books_to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listen_1466133.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/cynthia-briggs-229677_children-s-books_to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listen_1466133.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be a good writer, become a good listener.” — Cynthia Briggs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Your beauty will be in shades of melanin and light.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. YS Perez" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-ys-perez/your-beauty-will-be-in-shades-of-melanin-and-light/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/r-ys-perez-18712_beauty_your-beauty-will-be-in-shades-of-melanin_1233050.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/r-ys-perez-18712_beauty_your-beauty-will-be-in-shades-of-melanin_1233050.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/r-ys-perez-18712_beauty_your-beauty-will-be-in-shades-of-melanin_1233050.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your beauty will be in shades of melanin and light.” — R. YS Perez", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My family is like America; we are a blend of melanin and uncertain borders.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. YS Perez" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-ys-perez/my-family-is-like-america-we-are-a-blend-of-melanin-and-uncertain/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/r-ys-perez-18712_america_my-family-is-like-america-we-are-a-blend_54814.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/r-ys-perez-18712_america_my-family-is-like-america-we-are-a-blend_54814.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/r-ys-perez-18712_america_my-family-is-like-america-we-are-a-blend_54814.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My family is like America; we are a blend of melanin and uncertain borders.” — R. YS Perez", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Before that no one thought of us as colored-foreign maybe, exotic and dark, but not colored.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Gaiman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/before-that-no-one-thought-of-us-as-colored-foreign-maybe-exotic-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/neil-gaiman-29_american-gods_before-that-no-one-thought-of-us-as-colo_3191088.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/neil-gaiman-29_american-gods_before-that-no-one-thought-of-us-as-colo_3191088.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adb/neil-gaiman-29_american-gods_before-that-no-one-thought-of-us-as-colo_3191088.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before that no one thought of us as colored-foreign maybe, exotic and dark, but not colored.” — Neil Gaiman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You know what Black means? BLACK means Brave, BLACK means Leaderly, BLACK means Adventurous, BLACK means Considerate, BLACK means Kind.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Abhijit Naskar" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/you-know-what-black-means-black-means-brave-black-means-leaderly/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/abhijit-naskar-99_anti-racism_you-know-what-black-means-black-means-br_2664989.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/abhijit-naskar-99_anti-racism_you-know-what-black-means-black-means-br_2664989.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/abhijit-naskar-99_anti-racism_you-know-what-black-means-black-means-br_2664989.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know what Black means? BLACK means Brave, BLACK means Leaderly, BLACK means Adventurous, BLACK means…” — Abhijit Naskar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As a person of color in America, you need to fly to reach the hallowed gates of wealth and mainstream success while others can just walk. \"Good\" is not good enough. You have to be exceptional, especially when you don't have the legacy admissions, the generational wealth, the mentors who look like you and come from your communities, and an entire system that benefits one skin color and gender at the detriment of others.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wajahat Ali" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wajahat-ali/as-a-person-of-color-in-america-you-need-to-fly-to-reach-the-hallowed/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/wajahat-ali-110342_america_as-a-person-of-color-in-america-you-need_1268408.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/wajahat-ali-110342_america_as-a-person-of-color-in-america-you-need_1268408.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d81/wajahat-ali-110342_america_as-a-person-of-color-in-america-you-need_1268408.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a person of color in America, you need to fly to reach the hallowed gates of wealth and mainstream…” — Wajahat Ali", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Labelling is no longer a liberating political act but a necessity in order to gain entrance into the academic industrial complex and other discussions and spaces. For example, if so called “radical” or “progressive” people don’t hear enough “buzz” words (like feminist, anti-oppression, anti-racist, social justice, etc.) in your introduction, then you are deemed unworthy and not knowledgeable enough to speak with authority on issues that you have lived experience with. The criteria for identifying as a feminist by academic institutions, peer reviewed journals, national bodies, conferences, and other knowledge gatekeepers is very exclusive. It is based on academic theory instead of based on lived experiences or values. Name-dropping is so elitist! You're not a \"real\" feminist unless you can quote, or have read the following white women: (insert Women's Studies 101 readings).”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Krysta Williams" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krysta-williams/labelling-is-no-longer-a-liberating-political-act-but-a-necessity-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/krysta-williams-125869_academia_labelling-is-no-longer-a-liberating-poli_2237135.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/krysta-williams-125869_academia_labelling-is-no-longer-a-liberating-poli_2237135.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/krysta-williams-125869_academia_labelling-is-no-longer-a-liberating-poli_2237135.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Labelling is no longer a liberating political act but a necessity in order to gain entrance into the…” — Krysta Williams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“First off, as has been well stated by many Indigenous Feminists before us, the idea of gender equality did not come from the suffragettes or other so-called \"foremothers\" of feminist theory. It should also be recognized that although we are still struggling for this thing called \"gender equality,\" it is not actually a framed issue within the feminist realm, but a continuation of the larger tackling of colonialism. So this idea that women of colour all of a sudden realized \"we are women,\" and magically joined the feminist fight actually re-colonizes people for who gender equality and other \"feminist\" notions is a remembered history and current reality since before Columbus. The mainstream feminist movement is supposed to have started in the early 1900s with women fighting for the right to vote. However, these white women deliberately excluded the struggles of working class women of color and participated in the policy of forced sterilization for Aboriginal women and women with disabilities. Furthermore, the idea that we all need to subscribe to the same theoretical understandings of history is marginalizing. We all have our own truths and histories to live.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erin Konsmo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-konsmo/first-off-as-has-been-well-stated-by-many-indigenous-feminists-before/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/erin-konsmo-236447_feminism_first-off-as-has-been-well-stated-by-man_2676791.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/erin-konsmo-236447_feminism_first-off-as-has-been-well-stated-by-man_2676791.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/684/erin-konsmo-236447_feminism_first-off-as-has-been-well-stated-by-man_2676791.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“First off, as has been well stated by many Indigenous Feminists before us, the idea of gender equality did…” — Erin Konsmo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Look, without our stories, without the true nature and reality of who we are as People of Color, nothing about fanboy or fangirl culture would make sense. What I mean by that is: if it wasn't for race, X-Men doesn't sense. If it wasn't for the history of breeding human beings in the New World through chattel slavery, Dune doesn't make sense. If it wasn't for the history of colonialism and imperialism, Star Wars doesn't make sense. If it wasn't for the extermination of so many Indigenous First Nations, most of what we call science fiction’s contact stories doesn't make sense. Without us as the secret sauce, none of this works, and it is about time that we understood that we are the Force that holds the Star Wars universe together. We’re the Prime Directive that makes Star Trek possible, yeah. In the Green Lantern Corps, we are the oath. We are all of these things—erased, and yet without us—we are essential.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Díaz" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/look-without-our-stories-without-the-true-nature-and-reality-of-who/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/junot-diaz-531_culture_look-without-our-stories-without-the-tru_2953391.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/junot-diaz-531_culture_look-without-our-stories-without-the-tru_2953391.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c6/junot-diaz-531_culture_look-without-our-stories-without-the-tru_2953391.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Look, without our stories, without the true nature and reality of who we are as People of Color, nothing…” — Junot Díaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-of-color/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-of-color/", "name": "People-of-color Quotes", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-of-color/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/cynthia-briggs-229677_children-s-books_to-be-a-good-writer-become-a-good-listen_1466133.jpg" }, "description": "Browse 9 People-of-color quotes by 8 authors. 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