--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Blacks have traditionally had to operate…" description: "\"Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation where whites have set themselves up as the custodians of the black experience.\" — August Wilson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png" --- # Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation… ![“Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation where whites have set themselves up as the custodians of the black experience.” quote by August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png) > “Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation where whites have set themselves up as the custodians of the black experience.” [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black experiences are often narrated by outsiders, limiting authentic representation. **In simple terms:** Seek authentic voices for true stories. Key Takeaway Amplify marginalized narratives. Themes representation authenticity race voice Mood critical reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre - media - education - policy Key Concepts cultural ownership narrative control Questions to Reflect On - Who gets to tell a community’s story? - How to ensure authentic representation? A Different Perspective Outsider narratives can still be valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-experience-486536/) [Blacks Traditionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blacks-traditionally-2570822/) [Custodians Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/custodians-black-2570823/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Situation Whites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation-whites-2570824/) [Traditionally Operate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditionally-operate-2570825/) ## Related quotes > [I write the black experience in America, and contained within that experience, because it is a human experience, are all the universalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-write-the-black-experience-in-america-and-contained-within-that/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [There's no idea in the world that is not contained by black life. I could write forever about the black experience in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/there-s-no-idea-in-the-world-that-is-not-contained-by-black-life-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [There is a multitude of experiences that make up the black experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-the-rapper/there-is-a-multitude-of-experiences-that-make-up-the-black-experience/) [Chance The Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-the-rapper/) > [And realizing there is no such thing as the Black experience. Time and events allow for change on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-childress/and-realizing-there-is-no-such-thing-as-the-black-experience-time-and/) [Alice Childress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-childress/) > [My book has a pre - civil rights setting with a post - civil rights sensibility. I believe less and less that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/my-book-has-a-pre-civil-rights-setting-with-a-post-civil-rights/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [The truth of the matter is, there were shows that depicted black characters that were on in the '90s, and they gave everybody a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-browning/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-there-were-shows-that-depicted-black/) [Logan Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-browning/) > [To me, to neuter a photograph of person of color in some general sense is to continue to forget the complexity of the black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/to-me-to-neuter-a-photograph-of-person-of-color-in-some-general-sense/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [There isn't just one black experience out here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/there-isn-t-just-one-black-experience-out-here/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [I have a perhaps naive point of view informed by my own kind of snowflake-in-the-unique-sense rather than the political sense, personal story. I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-polgreen/i-have-a-perhaps-naive-point-of-view-informed-by-my-own-kind-of/) [Lydia Polgreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-polgreen/) > [My experience has to be funnelled through a black experience or a white experience, or it doesn't exist, because that's how we're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/my-experience-has-to-be-funnelled-through-a-black-experience-or-a/) [M.I.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-i-a/) > [I would just love to see more shows that highlight positivity rather than trauma of the Black experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-love/i-would-just-love-to-see-more-shows-that-highlight-positivity-rather/) [Judi Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-love/) > [The Black experience in America now includes everything, all the way up to being the president of the United States.' But there's genres for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cord-jefferson/the-black-experience-in-america-now-includes-everything-all-the-way/) [Cord Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cord-jefferson/) > [If I can relate the black experience to white people, then they can understand us better and not be so afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-griffin/if-i-can-relate-the-black-experience-to-white-people-then-they-can/) [Eddie Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-griffin/) > [Some things you never really fully understand unless you are actually black and you experience how it feels when someone treats you differently based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-tracey/some-things-you-never-really-fully-understand-unless-you-are-actually/) [AJ Tracey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-tracey/) > [In 2016, the conversation of the black experience is so broad, and it's very raw. I mean, c'mon, we have a black president. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-shaheed-muhammad/in-2016-the-conversation-of-the-black-experience-is-so-broad-and-it-s/) [Ali Shaheed Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-shaheed-muhammad/) ## More by August Wilson > [Most of black America is in housing projects, without jobs, living on welfare. And this is not the case in 'The Cosby Show,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/most-of-black-america-is-in-housing-projects-without-jobs-living-on/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I just write stuff down and pile it up, and when I get enough stuff, I spread it out and look at it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-just-write-stuff-down-and-pile-it-up-and-when-i-get-enough-stuff-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I don't look at our society today too much. My focus is still in the past, and part of the reason is because what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-look-at-our-society-today-too-much-my-focus-is-still-in-the/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [The director works as an interpretive artist, but he's still an artist, so you also have to give him room to create and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/the-director-works-as-an-interpretive-artist-but-he-s-still-an-artist/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I dropped out of school, but I didn't drop out of life. I would leave the house each morning and go to the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dropped-out-of-school-but-i-didn-t-drop-out-of-life-i-would-leave/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [When I first started writing plays I couldn't write good dialogue because I didn't respect how black people talked. I thought that in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/when-i-first-started-writing-plays-i-couldn-t-write-good-dialogue/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“Like you? I go out of here every morning...bust my butt...cause I like you? It's my job. It's my responsibility!... Not cause I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/like-you-i-go-out-of-here-every-morning-bust-my-butt-cause-i-like-you/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“-How long you been with the rail road now? -Twenty-seven years. Now, I'll tell you something about the railroad. What I done learned after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/how-long-you-been-with-the-rail-road-now-twenty-seven-years-now-i-ll/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Scripts were rather scarce in 1968. We did a lot of Amiri Baraka's plays, the agitprop stuff he was writing. It was at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/scripts-were-rather-scarce-in-1968-we-did-a-lot-of-amiri-baraka-s/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/all-you-need-in-the-world-is-love-and-laughter-that-s-all-anybody/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I ain't never found no place for me to fit. Seem like all I do is start over. It ain't nothing to find no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-ain-t-never-found-no-place-for-me-to-fit-seem-like-all-i-do-is/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I don't write for a particular audience. I work as an artist, and I think the audience of one, which is the self, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-don-t-write-for-a-particular-audience-i-work-as-an-artist-and-i/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [I dont write particularly to effect social change. I believe writing can do that, but thats not why I write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-dont-write-particularly-to-effect-social-change-i-believe-writing/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“Don't try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they doing right by you,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/don-t-try-and-go-through-life-worrying-about-if-somebody-like-you-or/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Suffice it to say, I'm not poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/suffice-it-to-say-i-m-not-poor/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) [Explore all 124 August Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation where whites have set themselves up as the custodians of the black experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "August Wilson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate-in-a-situation-where-whites/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate-in-a-situation-where-whites/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6c/august-wilson-3646_black_blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate_2679886.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Blacks have traditionally had to operate in a situation where whites have set themselves up as the…” — August Wilson", "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": "August Wilson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Blacks have traditionally had to operate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate-in-a-situation-where-whites/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/blacks-have-traditionally-had-to-operate-in-a-situation-where-whites/#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 } } ] } ```