--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America at its best is inclusive and not…" description: "\"America at its best is inclusive and not exclusive.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg" --- # America at its best is inclusive and not exclusive. ![“America at its best is inclusive and not exclusive.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg) > “America at its best is inclusive and not exclusive.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America thrives when it welcomes all people rather than limiting membership. **In simple terms:** Inclusion makes a stronger nation. Key Takeaway Promote policies that welcome diversity. Themes inclusion equality national identity Mood hopeful determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - public policy - community building - education - workplace culture Key Concepts democracy social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How can we measure true inclusivity? - What barriers still exclude people? A Different Perspective Exclusionary attitudes can persist despite rhetoric. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ## Related quotes > [“Jokes are powerful like that, they can be both inclusive and exclusive. Can create both an Us and a Them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/jokes-are-powerful-like-that-they-can-be-both-inclusive-and-exclusive/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [The gospel is an exclusive truth but it's the most inclusive exclusive truth in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-gospel-is-an-exclusive-truth-but-it-s-the-most-inclusive/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [We are at a time in our country's history that inclusive language is better than exclusive language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-are-at-a-time-in-our-country-s-history-that-inclusive-language-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“My patriotism is both exclusive and inclusive. It is exclusive in the sense that in all humility I confine my attention to the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-patriotism-is-both-exclusive-and-inclusive-it-is-exclusive-in-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [For the United States of America, the best is yet to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/for-the-united-states-of-america-the-best-is-yet-to-come/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The day you don't mess with somebody, that would be exclusive rather than inclusive. I strive to be inclusive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/the-day-you-don-t-mess-with-somebody-that-would-be-exclusive-rather/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [The beauty of being black in American society is that black has always been an inclusive definition. White has always been an exclusive definition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-jealous/the-beauty-of-being-black-in-american-society-is-that-black-has/) [Benjamin Jealous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-jealous/) > [It's not exclusive, but inclusive, which is the whole spirit of jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/it-s-not-exclusive-but-inclusive-which-is-the-whole-spirit-of-jazz/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [In the melting pot that is America, inclusive trumps exclusive. Whether it's single women, young adults, or minorities, alienating the rapidly growing voting blocs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/in-the-melting-pot-that-is-america-inclusive-trumps-exclusive-whether/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [God is diverse and inclusive, not limited and exclusive. You're thinking of a Country Club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-robertson/god-is-diverse-and-inclusive-not-limited-and-exclusive-you-re/) Brian Robertson > [“I hope that it will yet be said, America is America's best customer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-clay/i-hope-that-it-will-yet-be-said-america-is-america-s-best-customer/) [Henry Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-clay/) > [America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-and-islam-are-not-exclusive-and-need-not-be-in-competition/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [America is best when we come together with clear leadership, expertise, and the political will to take on difficult challenges and get things done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/america-is-best-when-we-come-together-with-clear-leadership-expertise/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [America has the best politicians money can buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-has-the-best-politicians-money-can-buy/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [For all its terrible faults, in one sense America is still the last, best hope of mankind, because it spells out so vividly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/for-all-its-terrible-faults-in-one-sense-america-is-still-the-last/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America at its best is inclusive and not exclusive.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not-exclusive/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not-exclusive/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f71/barack-obama-17_america_america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not_246068.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America at its best is inclusive and not exclusive.” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "America at its best is inclusive...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not-exclusive/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-at-its-best-is-inclusive-and-not-exclusive/#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 } } ] } ```