--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I talk about race a lot. It's been my…" description: "\"I talk about race a lot. It's been my work ever since I came out of acting school. But it's true that in a way talking about race is a taboo. Because s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-talk-about-race-a-lot-it-s-been-my-wor_1905986.png" --- # I talk about race a lot. It's been my work ever since I… ![“I talk about race a lot. It's been my work ever since I came out of acting school. But it's true that in a way talking about race is a taboo. Because so many of our debates about race have to do not with race but with what we are willing to see, what we will not see and what we don't want to see.” quote by Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-talk-about-race-a-lot-it-s-been-my-wor_1905986.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-talk-about-race-a-lot-it-s-been-my-wor_1905986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/anna-deavere-smith-4847_about_i-talk-about-race-a-lot-it-s-been-my-wor_1905986.png) > “I talk about race a lot. It's been my work ever since I came out of acting school. But it's true that in a way talking about race is a taboo. Because so many of our debates about race have to do not with race but with what we are willing to see, what we will not see and what we don't want to see.” [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discussing race often avoids confronting uncomfortable truths, limiting honest dialogue. **In simple terms:** Race talks hide deeper issues. Key Takeaway Facilitate open, honest conversations about race. Themes race dialogue truth Mood thoughtful challenging Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - community workshops - education curricula - media representation Key Concepts social perception cultural awareness Questions to Reflect On - What truths are we avoiding? - How can we address hidden biases? A Different Perspective Some argue focusing on race deepens division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-school/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came/) [Debates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debates/) [Ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ever/) [I came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-came/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-taboo-2841714/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Since](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/since/) [Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taboo/) [Taboo Debates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taboo-debates-2841715/) [Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk/) [Talk Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-race/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-race-711942/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [My family, friends and community members rarely spoke about race relations, or how people from different races have different experiences growing up in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/my-family-friends-and-community-members-rarely-spoke-about-race/) [Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/) > [Many people are afraid to talk about race because it's so emotionally loaded. We don't have the vocabulary to talk about it. Every day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/many-people-are-afraid-to-talk-about-race-because-it-s-so-emotionally/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Part of the desire to live in a post-racial world includes the desire not to have to talk about racism, which includes a false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/part-of-the-desire-to-live-in-a-post-racial-world-includes-the-desire/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [I've always been quite scared about talking about race. You don't wanna rock the boat because you want to keep working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wunmi-mosaku/i-ve-always-been-quite-scared-about-talking-about-race-you-don-t/) [Wunmi Mosaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wunmi-mosaku/) > [There's sort of a persistent misperception that talking about race is black folk's burden. Ultimately, only men can end sexism, and only white people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-todd-jealous/there-s-sort-of-a-persistent-misperception-that-talking-about-race-is/) [Benjamin Todd Jealous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-todd-jealous/) > [If you write about race in 1850, you end up talking about race today because in many ways, so little has changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/if-you-write-about-race-in-1850-you-end-up-talking-about-race-today/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [As a country, we are in a state of denial about issues of race and racism. And too many of our leaders have concluded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lani-guinier/as-a-country-we-are-in-a-state-of-denial-about-issues-of-race-and/) [Lani Guinier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lani-guinier/) > [It was definitely during the Obama administration that talking about racism, or calling it out, suddenly seemed taboo. It seemed like talking about race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/it-was-definitely-during-the-obama-administration-that-talking-about/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [I do think that people will claim a certain fatigue about talking about race. But I think that even though they do, it's still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-do-think-that-people-will-claim-a-certain-fatigue-about-talking/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [We don't like talking about race in the U.K. - it's a very sensitive subject. People get extremely defensive and run for the covers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harewood/we-don-t-like-talking-about-race-in-the-u-k-it-s-a-very-sensitive/) [David Harewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harewood/) > [I still think that we have a hesitance to talk about things racial. And I think we do it at our detriment. We go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-still-think-that-we-have-a-hesitance-to-talk-about-things-racial/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I'll stop talking about race when people stop being racist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-ll-stop-talking-about-race-when-people-stop-being-racist/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I do not want to be in the headlines, especially not talking about race. That is not my deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordy-nelson/i-do-not-want-to-be-in-the-headlines-especially-not-talking-about/) [Jordy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordy-nelson/) > [People feel really uncomfortable talking about race and identity, largely because the subject is so taboo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franchesca-ramsey/people-feel-really-uncomfortable-talking-about-race-and-identity/) [Franchesca Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franchesca-ramsey/) > [Talking about class and identity can be as divisive as talking about race and racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-olusoga/talking-about-class-and-identity-can-be-as-divisive-as-talking-about/) [David Olusoga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-olusoga/) ## More by Anna Deavere Smith > [I feel like my work has been my path to freedom from having grown up in a segregated environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-feel-like-my-work-has-been-my-path-to-freedom-from-having-grown-up/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Identity is an assemblage of constellations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/identity-is-an-assemblage-of-constellations/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I think some of our most talented people are not going to pick the arts as a way that they're going to spend their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-think-some-of-our-most-talented-people-are-not-going-to-pick-the/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I mean, I think that - as an actress, in particular, I'm basically a fool, and I see the world upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-mean-i-think-that-as-an-actress-in-particular-i-m-basically-a-fool/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [The American idea is as promising, imaginative, and full of the unexpected as the land itself. The land represents freedom - the frontier, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/the-american-idea-is-as-promising-imaginative-and-full-of-the/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I have never been in a violent movie or television show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-have-never-been-in-a-violent-movie-or-television-show/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Poverty makes it very difficult in an already competitive world for kids to get on a straight track where they can actually love learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/poverty-makes-it-very-difficult-in-an-already-competitive-world-for/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Your desire to communicate must be bigger than your relationship with the chaotic and unfair realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/your-desire-to-communicate-must-be-bigger-than-your-relationship-with/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Self-esteem does not come from surrounding yourself with people and things that seem to increase your value. Real self-esteem is an integration of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/self-esteem-does-not-come-from-surrounding-yourself-with-people-and/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [People realize that we're very good at sending people to war, but we're not good at taking care of them. And people are coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/people-realize-that-we-re-very-good-at-sending-people-to-war-but-we/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I love studying how people are. Not just what they're saying, but how they are, what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/i-love-studying-how-people-are-not-just-what-they-re-saying-but-how/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [Many people are afraid to talk about race because it's so emotionally loaded. We don't have the vocabulary to talk about it. 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