--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't talk about the black community…" description: "\"We can't talk about the black community. It's no longer a homogeneous community; it was never a homogeneous community.\" — Angela Davis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/angela-davis-3825_black_we-can-t-talk-about-the-black-community_2852582.png" --- # We can't talk about the black community. It's no longer a… ![“We can't talk about the black community. It's no longer a homogeneous community; it was never a homogeneous community.” quote by Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/angela-davis-3825_black_we-can-t-talk-about-the-black-community_2852582.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/angela-davis-3825_black_we-can-t-talk-about-the-black-community_2852582.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/angela-davis-3825_black_we-can-t-talk-about-the-black-community_2852582.png) > “We can't talk about the black community. It's no longer a homogeneous community; it was never a homogeneous community.” [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Points out the false notion of a monolithic Black community, emphasizing diversity. **In simple terms:** Black community is not homogeneous. Key Takeaway Recognize internal diversity. Themes race identity diversity Mood critical educational Type social political When to use this quote - community dialogue - social justice - cultural understanding Key Concepts sociology intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging diversity improve activism? - What stereotypes persist about the Black community? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-community/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [The weaving of mankind into one community does not imply the creation of a homogeneous community, but rather the reverse; the welcome and adequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-weaving-of-mankind-into-one-community-does-not-imply-the-creation/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [The people-pleasing and performing is 100% ingrained in me, partly because I was a little brown girl growing up in a very white, homogeneous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samin-nosrat/the-people-pleasing-and-performing-is-100-ingrained-in-me-partly/) [Samin Nosrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samin-nosrat/) > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I get these roles because I can act and thats it. Hopefully thats it. The less I talk about being black, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-elba/i-get-these-roles-because-i-can-act-and-thats-it-hopefully-thats-it/) [Idris Elba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-elba/) > [A lot of times, we talk about black people as if being black is all they are. They get up, go to work... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/a-lot-of-times-we-talk-about-black-people-as-if-being-black-is-all/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [There's been a lot of talk about black men and the presence and absence of black men in positions of power in American culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-row/there-s-been-a-lot-of-talk-about-black-men-and-the-presence-and/) [Jess Row](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-row/) > [The less I talk about being black, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-elba/the-less-i-talk-about-being-black-the-better/) [Idris Elba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-elba/) > [I wanna talk to the black men in here, you know what I mean? Black men in here that are coming up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obie-trice/i-wanna-talk-to-the-black-men-in-here-you-know-what-i-mean-black-men/) [Obie Trice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obie-trice/) > [You know, some people get really tense when you talk about racism or you talk about being Black and it shouldn't be like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-love/you-know-some-people-get-really-tense-when-you-talk-about-racism-or/) [Judi Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-love/) > [In all fields black consciousness seeks to talk to the black man in a language that is his own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/in-all-fields-black-consciousness-seeks-to-talk-to-the-black-man-in-a/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [I think that the response to the OJ Simpson trial was based on a kind of sensibility that emerged out of the many campaigns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-that-the-response-to-the-oj-simpson-trial-was-based-on-a-kind/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I think we have to really focus on the issues much more than we may have in the past. I think we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-we-have-to-really-focus-on-the-issues-much-more-than-we-may/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I think it's important for us to recognize that although historically black communities have been very progressive with respect to issues of race and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-it-s-important-for-us-to-recognize-that-although-historically/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Anger in the black community towards Republicans is established and immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/anger-in-the-black-community-towards-republicans-is-established-and/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [One of the prices that we pay for integration was the disintegration of the black community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-smith/one-of-the-prices-that-we-pay-for-integration-was-the-disintegration/) [Ed Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-smith/) ## More by Angela Davis > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Often young black people are looking towards the alternative economies. They are looking towards the drug economy… the economies that are going to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/often-young-black-people-are-looking-towards-the-alternative/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I grew up in the southern United States in a city which at that time during the late '40's and early '50's was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-grew-up-in-the-southern-united-states-in-a-city-which-at-that-time/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [We have been basically persuaded that we should not talk about racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-have-been-basically-persuaded-that-we-should-not-talk-about-racism/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [You can't criticize people for wanting to have a decent life or wanting to live decently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-can-t-criticize-people-for-wanting-to-have-a-decent-life-or/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [As soon as my trial was over, we tried to use the energy that had developed around my case to create another organization, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/as-soon-as-my-trial-was-over-we-tried-to-use-the-energy-that-had/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [There is so much history of this racist violence that simply to bring one person to justice is not going to disturb the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/there-is-so-much-history-of-this-racist-violence-that-simply-to-bring/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I’m a feminist so I believe in inhabiting contradictions. I believe in making contradictions productive, not in having to choose one side or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-m-a-feminist-so-i-believe-in-inhabiting-contradictions-i-believe-in/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Kids these days are kind of going back to Tupac and Snoop Doggy Dogg as examples of people that stand for something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/kids-these-days-are-kind-of-going-back-to-tupac-and-snoop-doggy-dogg/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/prisons-do-not-disappear-social-problems-they-disappear-human-beings/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [We are never assured of justice without a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-are-never-assured-of-justice-without-a-fight/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/human-beings-cannot-be-willed-and-molded-into-non-existence/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [It doesn't surprise me that aspect of the black nationalist movement, the cultural side, has triumphed because that is the aspect of the movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/it-doesn-t-surprise-me-that-aspect-of-the-black-nationalist-movement/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Walls turned sideways are bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/walls-turned-sideways-are-bridges/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) [Explore all 118 Angela Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can't talk about the black community. 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