--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are a people. A people do not throw…" description: "\"We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses away. If they do, it is our duty as witnesses for the future to collect them again for the sake o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg" --- # We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses… ![“We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses away. If they do, it is our duty as witnesses for the future to collect them again for the sake of our children. If necessary, bone by bone.” quote by Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg) > “We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses away. If they do, it is our duty as witnesses for the future to collect them again for the sake of our children. If necessary, bone by bone.” [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. Society must protect and reclaim the talents of its people, even if it requires great effort, for future generations. **In simple terms:** Preserve and recover lost talents for future generations. Key Takeaway Value and safeguard collective genius. Themes community heritage responsibility generational duty Mood determined hopeful serious Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - community building - talent development - policy advocacy Key Concepts social cohesion collective intelligence cultural preservation Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better identify and nurture hidden talents? - What responsibilities do we have to future generations? A Different Perspective Collecting talent can be hindered by systemic oppression and resource limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [A people do not throw their geniuses away. And if they are thrown away, it is our duty as artists and as witnesses for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/a-people-do-not-throw-their-geniuses-away-and-if-they-are-thrown-away/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses away. And if they are thrown away, it is our duty as artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-their-geniuses-away-and-if-they/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/teach-the-children-so-it-will-not-be-necessary-to-teach-the-adults/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Flexible working is not just for women with children. It is necessary at the other end of the scale. If people can move into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-may/flexible-working-is-not-just-for-women-with-children-it-is-necessary/) [Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-may/) > [“Rosie was also used to conflicting emotions, for she was a mother and knew every moment of every day that no one out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-frankel/rosie-was-also-used-to-conflicting-emotions-for-she-was-a-mother-and/) [Laurie Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-frankel/) > [I am for people, and because of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jayalalithaa/i-am-for-people-and-because-of-people/) [J. Jayalalithaa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-jayalalithaa/) > [The power of Open Source is the power of the people. The people rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/the-power-of-open-source-is-the-power-of-the-people-the-people-rule/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [I don't see dead people, I see people I wish were dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-see-dead-people-i-see-people-i-wish-were-dead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never confuse people who are always around you, with people who are always there for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gee-linder/never-confuse-people-who-are-always-around-you-with-people-who-are/) [Gee Linder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gee-linder/) > [I'd like to say that people... people can change anything they want to; and that means everything in the world. Show me any country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-strummer/i-d-like-to-say-that-people-people-can-change-anything-they-want-to/) [Joe Strummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-strummer/) > [Stop waiting for people to go find you, go find people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teady/stop-waiting-for-people-to-go-find-you-go-find-people/) $Teady > [I like people who can see what other people can't yet imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick-maloney/i-like-people-who-can-see-what-other-people-can-t-yet-imagine/) [Sean Patrick Maloney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick-maloney/) > [Hahaha,Oh gosh,I hate people.-.- Most people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-laura/hahaha-oh-gosh-i-hate-people-most-people/) [Jasmine Laura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-laura/) > [“some people are made up of … other people's blood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namrata-singh/some-people-are-made-up-of-other-people-s-blood/) Namrata Singh > [Great people are not people who have never fallen down. Greatness has to do with how you get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/great-people-are-not-people-who-have-never-fallen-down-greatness-has/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## 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 Bones quotes > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [“We are preaching hope, standing on the bones of the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rucyahana/we-are-preaching-hope-standing-on-the-bones-of-the-past/) [John Rucyahana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rucyahana/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [Flesh forgets. Bone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-bass/flesh-forgets-bone-remembers/) [Jefferson Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-bass/) > [One of my favorite poets, Neruda, writes close to the bone. Though I know only a little Spanish, I like to compare the Spanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diament/one-of-my-favorite-poets-neruda-writes-close-to-the-bone-though-i/) [Anita Diament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diament/) > [Death and burial were a public spectacle. Shakespeare may have seen for himself the gravediggers at St Ann's, Soho, playing skittles with skulls and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-arnold/death-and-burial-were-a-public-spectacle-shakespeare-may-have-seen/) [Catharine Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-arnold/) > [REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/review-v-t-to-set-your-wisdom-holding-not-a-doubt-of-it-although-in/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed! - Cat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/all-right-you-deadly-little-ghostlings-i-muttered-mama-says-go-back/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) Browse all 2,113 Bones quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses away. If they do, it is our duty as witnesses for the future to collect them again for the sake of our children. If necessary, bone by bone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Walker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-their-geniuses-away-if-they-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bones" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-their-geniuses-away-if-they-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/675/alice-walker-347_bones_we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-th_2530999.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are a people. A people do not throw their geniuses away. If they do, it is our duty as witnesses for the…” — Alice Walker", "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": "Alice Walker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are a people. A people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-their-geniuses-away-if-they-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/we-are-a-people-a-people-do-not-throw-their-geniuses-away-if-they-do/#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 } } ] } ```