--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's fair to say that black folks operate…" description: "\"It's fair to say that black folks operate under a cloud of invisibility - this too is part of the work, is indeed central to [my photographs]... This i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/carrie-mae-weems-24837_black_it-s-fair-to-say-that-black-folks-operat_1875928.jpg" --- # It's fair to say that black folks operate under a cloud of… ![“It's fair to say that black folks operate under a cloud of invisibility - this too is part of the work, is indeed central to [my photographs]... This invisibility - this erasure out of the complex history of our life and time - is the greatest source of my longing.” quote by Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/carrie-mae-weems-24837_black_it-s-fair-to-say-that-black-folks-operat_1875928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/carrie-mae-weems-24837_black_it-s-fair-to-say-that-black-folks-operat_1875928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/344/carrie-mae-weems-24837_black_it-s-fair-to-say-that-black-folks-operat_1875928.jpg) > “It's fair to say that black folks operate under a cloud of invisibility - this too is part of the work, is indeed central to \[my photographs\]... This invisibility - this erasure out of the complex history of our life and time - is the greatest source of my longing.” [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) ## 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 highlights how Black people experience systemic invisibility, which fuels the artist’s longing and drives her work to reveal erased histories. **In simple terms:** Black invisibility fuels artistic purpose. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and expose hidden narratives. Themes identity visibility history art racial justice Mood reflective determined hopeful Type artistic social commentary When to use this quote - museum curation - community workshops - educational curricula - public murals Key Concepts Systemic erasure social memory artist motivation Questions to Reflect On - How does invisibility affect personal identity? - What can art do to make erased histories visible? A Different Perspective Invisibility can be reinforced by dominant narratives that resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-folks-252028/) [Clouds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clouds/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Fairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairs/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Invisibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisibility/) [Invisibility Erasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisibility-erasure-2619508/) [Invisibility Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisibility-work-2619509/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-time/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photographs Invisibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographs-invisibility-2619507/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) ## Related quotes > [The invisibility of work and workers in the digital age is as consequential as the rise of the assembly line and, later, the service…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/the-invisibility-of-work-and-workers-in-the-digital-age-is-as/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Trust me, Black folks are tired of always having to save this country from itself and then being ignored once the winner of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/trust-me-black-folks-are-tired-of-always-having-to-save-this-country/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [The love affair between black folks and the Clintons has been going on for a long time. 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I think they're really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/i-ve-been-busy-for-a-long-long-time-i-ve-received-a-ton-of-awards-in/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [“Art is the one place we all turn to for solace. We turn to it constantly, whether you are listening to music, or pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/art-is-the-one-place-we-all-turn-to-for-solace-we-turn-to-it/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [I really like the structure of my body. It moves well, it looks good, it photographs well, it understands gesture and nuance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/i-really-like-the-structure-of-my-body-it-moves-well-it-looks-good-it/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [You know, artists are influenced by other artists. We're all deeply influenced by what's around us; we don't make anything cold. Sometimes we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/you-know-artists-are-influenced-by-other-artists-we-re-all-deeply/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [It's very important for me to really use this body as a barometer of a certain kind of knowledge--to take the personal risk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/it-s-very-important-for-me-to-really-use-this-body-as-a-barometer-of/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [Suddenly this camera, this thing, allowed me to move around the world in a certain kind of way, with a certain kind of purpose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/suddenly-this-camera-this-thing-allowed-me-to-move-around-the-world/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [How you get work done is by exploiting yourself and your feelings, and sometimes people get in the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/how-you-get-work-done-is-by-exploiting-yourself-and-your-feelings-and/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [Sometimes my work needs to be photographic, sometimes it needs words, sometimes it needs to have a relationship to music, sometimes it needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/sometimes-my-work-needs-to-be-photographic-sometimes-it-needs-words/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [Art is the one place we all turn to for solace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/art-is-the-one-place-we-all-turn-to-for-solace/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) > [I got my first camera when I was 21 - my boyfriend gave it to me for my birthday - but at that point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-mae-weems/i-got-my-first-camera-when-i-was-21-my-boyfriend-gave-it-to-me-for-my/) [Carrie Mae Weems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) [Explore all 24 Carrie Mae Weems quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-mae-weems/) ## 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. 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