--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our…" description: "\"“We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our stories, and more importantly, we needed our stories to be heard.”\" — Candace Fleming" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg" --- # We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our stories, and more… ![“We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our stories, and more importantly, we needed our stories to be heard.” quote by Candace Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg) > ““We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our stories, and more importantly, we needed our stories to be heard.”” [Candace Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote stresses the importance of sharing personal narratives and ensuring they reach an audience. **In simple terms:** Stories must be told and heard. Key Takeaway Prioritize sharing your story. Themes expression communication representation Mood hopeful determined Type inspirational advocacy When to use this quote - Education - community activism - media platforms Key Concepts Narrative power visibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you amplify unheard voices? - What platforms best serve marginalized stories? A Different Perspective Stories can be misinterpreted or ignored without proper context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [My father used to tell me stories before I fell asleep. When the children would gather, at a certain point, I had a tendency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/my-father-used-to-tell-me-stories-before-i-fell-asleep-when-the/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [“Reasons were invented, and stories were reasons that allowed us to connect ourselves to the world, to compose ourselves in ways that others could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-tanweer/reasons-were-invented-and-stories-were-reasons-that-allowed-us-to/) [Bilal Tanweer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-tanweer/) > [When those myths were created, when the Bible was written, man didn't know what an atom or a germ was, or where the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/when-those-myths-were-created-when-the-bible-was-written-man-didn-t/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Stories first heard at mothers knee are never wholly forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanni-ruffini/stories-first-heard-at-mothers-knee-are-never-wholly-forgotten/) [Giovanni Ruffini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanni-ruffini/) > [“Thomas," Chess said, "if you don't want to be famous and have your stories heard, then why'd you start the band up?" "I heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/thomas-chess-said-if-you-don-t-want-to-be-famous-and-have-your/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [In 2010, my kids came home telling these ridiculous stories about me they heard from school. I realized my kids didn't know my story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/in-2010-my-kids-came-home-telling-these-ridiculous-stories-about-me/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [In my life, the stories I have heard from my family, my friends, my community, and from willing strangers all over the world have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/in-my-life-the-stories-i-have-heard-from-my-family-my-friends-my/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [The best stories I have heard were pointless, the best books those whose plot I can never remember, the best individuals those whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-best-stories-i-have-heard-were-pointless-the-best-books-those/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Stories first heard standing at a mother's knee, are never wholly forgotten, — a little spring that never quite dries up in our journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanni-ruffini/stories-first-heard-standing-at-a-mother-s-knee-are-never-wholly/) [Giovanni Ruffini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanni-ruffini/) > [“Danae and Theano nodded but settled down more comfortably to hear their friend tell it once again. A story passed the time. A story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-geras/danae-and-theano-nodded-but-settled-down-more-comfortably-to-hear/) [Adele Geras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-geras/) > [One cannot make up stories; one can only retell in new ways the stories one has already heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-heilbrun/one-cannot-make-up-stories-one-can-only-retell-in-new-ways-the/) [Carolyn Heilbrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-heilbrun/) > [“As she walked, the horror stories she'd heard from Felix and the others became real. This is what their underground efforts were fighting against.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricia-goyer/as-she-walked-the-horror-stories-she-d-heard-from-felix-and-the/) [Tricia Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricia-goyer/) > [I’ve seen the nations rise and fall. I’ve heard their stories, heard them all, but love’s the only engine of survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-ve-seen-the-nations-rise-and-fall-i-ve-heard-their-stories-heard/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [We are made of the stories we have heard and read all through our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/we-are-made-of-the-stories-we-have-heard-and-read-all-through-our/) [Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/) ## More by Candace Fleming > [“Ah, the Dewey decimal system…humankind’s single greatest achievement.” From Candace Fleming’s The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/ah-the-dewey-decimal-system-humankind-s-single-greatest-achievement/) [Candace Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/) > [“We may just be specters in this world, but our stories, if they are remembered and retold, become real and solid and alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/we-may-just-be-specters-in-this-world-but-our-stories-if-they-are/) [Candace Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/) > [“Once you hear a story, it becomes part of you. It can't die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/once-you-hear-a-story-it-becomes-part-of-you-it-can-t-die/) [Candace Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/) > [“We may just be specters in this world, but our stories, if they are remembered and retold, become real and solid and alive... Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/we-may-just-be-specters-in-this-world-but-our-stories-if-they-are-2/) [Candace Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/) [Explore all 5 Candace Fleming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/) ## More Story quotes > [I could program a 'fabulous, I love it' kind of hit season right now. I'm more interested in breaking boundaries, telling a story, defying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-could-program-a-fabulous-i-love-it-kind-of-hit-season-right-now-i-m/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/) [David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Saving History One Story at a Time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwsa-website/saving-history-one-story-at-a-time/) MWSA website > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [When I was 3, my parents strapped on a pair of Playskool plastic roller skates to my feet, and that's where the story begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-celski/when-i-was-3-my-parents-strapped-on-a-pair-of-playskool-plastic/) [J. R. Celski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-celski/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [If you look back at my story, it doesn’t matter where you look, but God’s fingerprints are all over the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/if-you-look-back-at-my-story-it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-look-but-god/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [What a cool job to be part of - whether it's doing lighting or acting or serving food on set. You're part of telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-dern/what-a-cool-job-to-be-part-of-whether-it-s-doing-lighting-or-acting/) [Laura Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-dern/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [If you do weave one-liners into a story, you have to have an overall story as well, otherwise it doesn't really count as narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-vine/if-you-do-weave-one-liners-into-a-story-you-have-to-have-an-overall/) [Tim Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-vine/) > [Each child’s story is worthy of telling. There shouldn’t be a sliding scale of death. The weight of it is crushing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/each-child-s-story-is-worthy-of-telling-there-shouldn-t-be-a-sliding/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) [Browse all 9,674 Story quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our stories, and more importantly, we needed our stories to be heard.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Candace Fleming" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stories-and-more-importantly-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Story" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stories-and-more-importantly-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22b/candace-fleming-60306_story_we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stori_190001.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We wanted - no, we needed - to tell our stories, and more importantly, we needed our stories to be heard.” — Candace Fleming", "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": "Candace Fleming", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-fleming/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We wanted - no, we needed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stories-and-more-importantly-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-fleming/we-wanted-no-we-needed-to-tell-our-stories-and-more-importantly-we/#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 } } ] } ```