--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up in the South under segregation…" description: "\"I grew up in the South under segregation. So, I know what terrorism feels like - when your father could be taken out in the middle of the night and lyn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/alice-walker-347_because_i-grew-up-in-the-south-under-segregation_860856.png" --- # I grew up in the South under segregation. So, I know what… ![“I grew up in the South under segregation. So, I know what terrorism feels like - when your father could be taken out in the middle of the night and lynched just because he didn't look like he was in an obeying frame of mind when a white person said something he must do. I mean, that's terrorism…” quote by Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/alice-walker-347_because_i-grew-up-in-the-south-under-segregation_860856.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/alice-walker-347_because_i-grew-up-in-the-south-under-segregation_860856.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac2/alice-walker-347_because_i-grew-up-in-the-south-under-segregation_860856.png) > “I grew up in the South under segregation. So, I know what terrorism feels like - when your father could be taken out in the middle of the night and lynched just because he didn't look like he was in an obeying frame of mind when a white person said something he must do. I mean, that's terrorism, too.” [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experiencing racial terror in childhood shapes one's understanding of oppression and resilience. **In simple terms:** Childhood trauma informs adult perspective. Key Takeaway Acknowledge past pain to foster empathy. Themes racism trauma resilience Mood somber reflective Type philosophical social When to use this quote - education - activism - community dialogue - policy reform Key Concepts social justice historical memory Questions to Reflect On - How does personal history affect activism? - What steps can heal collective trauma? A Different Perspective May generalize individual experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Frame of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frame-of-mind/) [Middle of the night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-of-the-night/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Segregation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/segregation/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) ## Related quotes > [ I grew up in the South \[USA states\] under segregation. I know what terrorism feels like - when your father could be taken out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-grew-up-in-the-south-usa-states-under-segregation-i-know-what/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I know terrorism is real. And I know fear of it distorts public judgment. Terrorism is like a chronic illness. We have to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/i-know-terrorism-is-real-and-i-know-fear-of-it-distorts-public/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [We all recognize that the Mid-east is dissolving into crises, and we know terrorism did not start with 9-11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mattis/we-all-recognize-that-the-mid-east-is-dissolving-into-crises-and-we/) [Jim Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mattis/) > [You know, terrorism in Afghanistan had everything to do with the support for the mujahidin by Saudi Arabia and by the CIA that sought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/you-know-terrorism-in-afghanistan-had-everything-to-do-with-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Even if there is peace with all the Arab states, I don't know if the terrorism against us will pass from this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-shamir/even-if-there-is-peace-with-all-the-arab-states-i-don-t-know-if-the/) [Yitzhak Shamir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-shamir/) > [We know that terrorism can happen anywhere, at anytime. And we know the best way to prevent an attack is by working together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-wray/we-know-that-terrorism-can-happen-anywhere-at-anytime-and-we-know-the/) [Christopher A. Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-a-wray/) > [“Great Literature is help for humans. It is medicine of the highest order. In a more aware culture, writers would be considered priests. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/great-literature-is-help-for-humans-it-is-medicine-of-the-highest/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Being Christian is not just obeying orders but means being in Christ, thinking like him, acting like him, loving like him; it means letting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/being-christian-is-not-just-obeying-orders-but-means-being-in-christ/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Stop obeying a dictator; you will then see that he is nothing! Stop obeying a king; you will then see that he is nothing!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/stop-obeying-a-dictator-you-will-then-see-that-he-is-nothing-stop/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The slave should be resigned to his lot, in obeying his master he is obeying God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/the-slave-should-be-resigned-to-his-lot-in-obeying-his-master-he-is/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/he-who-has-never-learned-to-obey-cannot-be-a-good-commander/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [A man can go along obeying all the rules and then it don't matter a damn anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/a-man-can-go-along-obeying-all-the-rules-and-then-it-don-t-matter-a/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [One of the first things one notices in a backward country is that children are still obeying their parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-first-things-one-notices-in-a-backward-country-is-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God’s will, even if you have to stand alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulisses-soares/have-the-moral-courage-to-stand-firm-in-obeying-god-s-will-even-if/) [Ulisses Soares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulisses-soares/) ## More by Alice Walker > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Remember this-- say it & know it is true: Alice loves me Alice loves me and I am not blamed for this. ... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/remember-this-say-it-know-it-is-true-alice-loves-me-alice-loves-me/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Only the sky above us do we hold in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/only-the-sky-above-us-do-we-hold-in-common/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“Why aren't you happy in America, if everyone there drives motorcars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/why-aren-t-you-happy-in-america-if-everyone-there-drives-motorcars/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“She saw poetry where other writers merely saw failure to cope with English.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/she-saw-poetry-where-other-writers-merely-saw-failure-to-cope-with/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother had handed down respect for the possibilities...and the will to grasp them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-had-handed-down-respect-for-the-possibilities-and-the-will/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-are-content-to-be-themselves-they-will-never/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [My mother was very strong. Once, she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/my-mother-was-very-strong-once-she-picked-up-a-coconut-and-smashed-it/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Many readers fail to realize this, but 'The Color Purple' is a theological text. It is about the reclamation of one's original God: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/many-readers-fail-to-realize-this-but-the-color-purple-is-a/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Humans - whatever billions we are - we don't have the control. We are considered expendable, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/humans-whatever-billions-we-are-we-don-t-have-the-control-we-are/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/all-my-life-i-had-to-fight-i-had-to-fight-my-daddy-i-had-to-fight-my/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) [Explore all 654 Alice Walker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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