---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must acknowledge that issues like…"
description: "\"We must acknowledge that issues like systemic racism, economic inequality, and the achievement gap are the result of manmade policies.\" — Ayanna Pressley"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg"
---

#  We must acknowledge that issues like systemic racism…

![“We must acknowledge that issues like systemic racism, economic inequality, and the achievement gap are the result of manmade policies.” quote by Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg)

> “We must acknowledge that issues like systemic racism, economic inequality, and the achievement gap are the result of manmade policies.”

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Systemic injustices stem from policies created by people, not natural forces.

**In simple terms:** Policies cause inequality.

Key Takeaway

Address policy roots.

Themes

justice inequality policy systemic racism

Mood

urgent determined

Type

political advocacy

When to use this quote

- legislative reform
- community organizing
- education funding
- healthcare access

Key Concepts

public policy social equity economics

Questions to Reflect On

- Which policies most need reform?
- How can citizens influence lawmakers?

A Different Perspective

Policy change is slow and faces opposition.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Achievement gap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement-gap/) [Economic inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-inequality/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [It isn't only Republicans, it seems, who traffic in alternative facts. Since Donald Trump's shock election victory, leading Democrats have worked hard to convince…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/it-isn-t-only-republicans-it-seems-who-traffic-in-alternative-facts/)

[Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/)

> [I think that the roots of racism have always been economic, and I think people are desperate and scared. And when you're desperate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-think-that-the-roots-of-racism-have-always-been-economic-and-i/)

[Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/)

> [For most Black people there is still poverty and desperation. The Ghettos still exist, and the proportion of Blacks in prison is still much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/for-most-black-people-there-is-still-poverty-and-desperation-the/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [“Speaking from the heart is simple. Listening wholeheartedly, however, is much, much more difficult and most rare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/speaking-from-the-heart-is-simple-listening-wholeheartedly-however-is/)

[Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/)

> [I mean, one thing I know about change is we are not going to close the achievement gap without educators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-spellings/i-mean-one-thing-i-know-about-change-is-we-are-not-going-to-close-the/)

[Margaret Spellings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-spellings/)

> [“Everything would have been for nothing just because I simply didn’t listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/everything-would-have-been-for-nothing-just-because-i-simply-didn-t/)

[Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/)

> [The word gap leads to an achievement gap and has life-long consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-word-gap-leads-to-an-achievement-gap-and-has-life-long/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [To me the question right now is: How do I close that first three-quarters of the achievement gap, education gap, wealth gap? What gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/to-me-the-question-right-now-is-how-do-i-close-that-first-three/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“You’ve got to be driven to become successful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/you-ve-got-to-be-driven-to-become-successful/)

[Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/)

> [If we want to close the achievement gap, build a well-educated workforce and responsible citizenry, we must start with our youngest children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/if-we-want-to-close-the-achievement-gap-build-a-well-educated/)

[John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/)

> [In DC, policymakers think that if we can only have high enough standards, tough enough tests, and hold people accountable, we can close the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/in-dc-policymakers-think-that-if-we-can-only-have-high-enough/)

[Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/)

> [I do think we know that a teacher who knows what he or she is doing, knows their subject matter, and knows how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-spellings/i-do-think-we-know-that-a-teacher-who-knows-what-he-or-she-is-doing/)

[Margaret Spellings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-spellings/)

> [“I was so sure that I knew what they needed and what I wanted to sell them that I never stopped long enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/i-was-so-sure-that-i-knew-what-they-needed-and-what-i-wanted-to-sell/)

[Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/)

> [If you want to get at African American poverty, the income gap, wealth gap, achievement gap, that the most important thing is to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-you-want-to-get-at-african-american-poverty-the-income-gap-wealth/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“There is no achievement gap at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-delpit/there-is-no-achievement-gap-at-birth/)

[Lisa Delpit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-delpit/)

## More by Ayanna Pressley

> [Making progress on longstanding challenges requires a different lens and a new approach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/making-progress-on-longstanding-challenges-requires-a-different-lens/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [My priority will remain supporting those courageous individuals and organizations, among both Israelis and Palestinians, committed to bringing peaceful coexistence to the region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/my-priority-will-remain-supporting-those-courageous-individuals-and/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I happen to be black and a woman and unapologetically proud to be both, but that is not the totality of my identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-happen-to-be-black-and-a-woman-and-unapologetically-proud-to-be/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I would not invest in a Trump hate wall. We don't need to be protected from immigrants that are coming here seeking asylum and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-would-not-invest-in-a-trump-hate-wall-we-don-t-need-to-be-protected/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I have been a policymaker proven in tackling some very complex social issues on the municipal level here in Boston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-have-been-a-policymaker-proven-in-tackling-some-very-complex-social/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [Since being elected to the City Council, I have been unwavering in my commitment to address issues uniquely impacting women and girls and advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/since-being-elected-to-the-city-council-i-have-been-unwavering-in-my/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I am probably an outsider because I challenge conventional narratives about who should have a seat at the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-am-probably-an-outsider-because-i-challenge-conventional-narratives/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [We should be uncomfortable with the growing gaps in our society, and we cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to these injustices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/we-should-be-uncomfortable-with-the-growing-gaps-in-our-society-and/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I don't put too much stock in polls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-don-t-put-too-much-stock-in-polls/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [An increase in bicycle ridership brings an increased need for measures to ensure the safety of cyclists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/an-increase-in-bicycle-ridership-brings-an-increased-need-for/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I know, given my own life challenges, that there are many non-academic barriers that get in the way of the scholastic and life success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-know-given-my-own-life-challenges-that-there-are-many-non-academic/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [When I was ready to buy my first home after years of renting, I immediately zeroed in on Dorchester.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/when-i-was-ready-to-buy-my-first-home-after-years-of-renting-i/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I've just kept going, like millions of people do every day, because life does not allow them to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-ve-just-kept-going-like-millions-of-people-do-every-day-because/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I will sit at the table and compromise with anyone in the name of progress, but there are things I'm not willing to compromise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-will-sit-at-the-table-and-compromise-with-anyone-in-the-name-of/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

> [I understand and appreciate and respect that any time a barrier is broken or history is made, people want to celebrate it and mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-understand-and-appreciate-and-respect-that-any-time-a-barrier-is/)

[Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

[Explore all 78 Ayanna Pressley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/)

## More Achievement quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/)

[Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/)

[Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/)

> [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/)

Chaz Brenchley

> [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/)

[Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/)

> [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/)

[Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/)

> [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/)

[Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/)

> [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/)

Nicholas Roerich

> [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

[Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We must acknowledge that issues like systemic racism, economic inequality, and the achievement gap are the result of manmade policies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ayanna Pressley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-systemic-racism-economic/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achievement"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-systemic-racism-economic/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/ayanna-pressley-8685_achievement_we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-sys_2130858.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We must acknowledge that issues like systemic racism, economic inequality, and the achievement gap are the…” — Ayanna Pressley",
                "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": "Ayanna Pressley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We must acknowledge that issues like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-systemic-racism-economic/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/we-must-acknowledge-that-issues-like-systemic-racism-economic/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```