--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just reading that - just reading that a…" description: "\"Just reading that - just reading that a person can be black and still perform in blackface, making fun of black people for a living, and at the same ti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg" --- # Just reading that - just reading that a person can be… ![“Just reading that - just reading that a person can be black and still perform in blackface, making fun of black people for a living, and at the same time be a genius and be an incredible entertainer and at the same time be extremely conflicted and feel like - just feel terrible for doing that…” quote by Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg) > “Just reading that - just reading that a person can be black and still perform in blackface, making fun of black people for a living, and at the same time be a genius and be an incredible entertainer and at the same time be extremely conflicted and feel like - just feel terrible for doing that, essentially, which is what Bert Williams felt, from what I gather, from what I read - all of that just made - was so incredible to me.” [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) ## 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 reflects the paradox of a Black performer using blackface, achieving fame while feeling deep moral conflict. **In simple terms:** A Black entertainer used blackface, succeeded, yet felt terrible. Key Takeaway Recognize talent can coexist with ethical dilemmas. Themes identity art morality conflict celebrity Mood conflicted thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - theatre history - modern entertainment - cultural criticism Key Concepts performance art racial representation psychological tension Questions to Reflect On - How do we separate artistic skill from harmful practices? - Can fame justify ethical compromises? A Different Perspective The performer’s success may perpetuate harmful stereotypes despite personal talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Blackface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackface/) [Conflicted Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicted-feel-1635580/) [Entertainers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainers/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Incredibles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredibles/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Making fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-fun/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perform Blackface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perform-blackface-1635578/) [Person Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-black-996940/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Williams Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/williams-felt-1635579/) ## Related quotes > [Getting over someone is a process, it's okay to be conflicted in how you feel after a relationship has ended... no matter who made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/getting-over-someone-is-a-process-it-s-okay-to-be-conflicted-in-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think when black performers performed in blackface, they were kind of taking back slave songs, but it was still a little bit iffy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-think-when-black-performers-performed-in-blackface-they-were-kind/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I have spent my whole life earnestly believing the fundamental American dictum that a single 'drop of black blood' makes a person 'black' primarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chatterton-williams/i-have-spent-my-whole-life-earnestly-believing-the-fundamental/) [Thomas Chatterton Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chatterton-williams/) > [I think that's what's so great about 'Jessica James' is you get to sit back and take a moment and realize that this person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-williams/i-think-that-s-what-s-so-great-about-jessica-james-is-you-get-to-sit/) [Jessica Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-williams/) > [Here I am, the artist, the person, the black woman, and the stereotype. I'm using myself and it has nothing to do with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickalene-thomas/here-i-am-the-artist-the-person-the-black-woman-and-the-stereotype-i/) [Mickalene Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickalene-thomas/) > [The idea that a person can be both black and white - and at the same time neither - is novel in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chatterton-williams/the-idea-that-a-person-can-be-both-black-and-white-and-at-the-same/) [Thomas Chatterton Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chatterton-williams/) > [What do you call a person with two black eyes. the police because they might be in an abusive relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/she-s-gone/what-do-you-call-a-person-with-two-black-eyes-the-police-because-they/) [She's\_gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/she-s-gone/) > [People look at me, and they don't see what they think is a typical Aboriginal. I always thought I'd be the white person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-sebbens/people-look-at-me-and-they-don-t-see-what-they-think-is-a-typical/) [Shari Sebbens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-sebbens/) > [ I remember when I had my show \[The Chris Rock Show on HBO\], I used to run my show. It was so hard to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-raab/i-remember-when-i-had-my-show-the-chris-rock-show-on-hbo-i-used-to/) [Scott Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-raab/) > [An actor hears 'no' more often than the average person. A black human and a black woman on top of that? That's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teyonah-parris/an-actor-hears-no-more-often-than-the-average-person-a-black-human/) [Teyonah Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teyonah-parris/) > [Many people believe that determining who is 'black' is rather easy, a task simplified by the administration of the one-drop rule. Under the one-drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-kennedy/many-people-believe-that-determining-who-is-black-is-rather-easy-a/) [Randall Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-kennedy/) > [“Never trust a white person black people don’t like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/never-trust-a-white-person-black-people-don-t-like/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [I've never played a police person before 'Black Work,' and certainly had never worn a uniform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-james/i-ve-never-played-a-police-person-before-black-work-and-certainly-had/) [Geraldine James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-james/) > [I think of myself, basically, as a very practical person in black bugle beads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/i-think-of-myself-basically-as-a-very-practical-person-in-black-bugle/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [I was not interested in doing the plot of OEDIPUS in blackface. I did wonder, what would these people have been like if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-was-not-interested-in-doing-the-plot-of-oedipus-in-blackface-i-did/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) ## More by Cecile McLorin Salvant > [I remember in school - in elementary school - I used to recite poems. We'd have to recite poems. And I would always just,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-remember-in-school-in-elementary-school-i-used-to-recite-poems-we-d/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I just became obsessed with looking for new singers, unknown singers, people that maybe have been forgotten, and really checking them out and analyzing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-just-became-obsessed-with-looking-for-new-singers-unknown-singers/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I don't like being the focus of attention. It makes me very uncomfortable. And it's part of the reason I never look at videos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-don-t-like-being-the-focus-of-attention-it-makes-me-very/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I never wanted to sound clean and pretty. I always wanted to have kind of a certain natural quality to my voice, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-never-wanted-to-sound-clean-and-pretty-i-always-wanted-to-have-kind/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I remember as a child I just would copy everyone else's handwriting, and now I have sort of a version of my sister's handwriting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-remember-as-a-child-i-just-would-copy-everyone-else-s-handwriting/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I wasn't listening to that much classical music - not much more than anything else. I was really lucky to have parents who loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-wasn-t-listening-to-that-much-classical-music-not-much-more-than/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I just don't like to be in my own - I'm already myself, so I don't like to be in my own - like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-just-don-t-like-to-be-in-my-own-i-m-already-myself-so-i-don-t-like/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I did everything I could to not bring in any of the - any of the technical things I got from classical into jazz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-did-everything-i-could-to-not-bring-in-any-of-the-any-of-the/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [Classical singing - everything had to be homogenous, and it had to just feel like one continuous flow from top to bottom, bottom to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/classical-singing-everything-had-to-be-homogenous-and-it-had-to-just/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I had a hole in my voice. It's an area in the voice where it's air. It's just - there's no - it's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-had-a-hole-in-my-voice-it-s-an-area-in-the-voice-where-it-s-air-it/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I do love being onstage. And I've always loved playing a character and being watched doing that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-do-love-being-onstage-and-i-ve-always-loved-playing-a-character-and/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I doubt myself a lot. And I'm very, very just overly critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-doubt-myself-a-lot-and-i-m-very-very-just-overly-critical/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I think when black performers performed in blackface, they were kind of taking back slave songs, but it was still a little bit iffy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-think-when-black-performers-performed-in-blackface-they-were-kind/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [I think I'm fascinated with history and - just in general. And I'm always interested in how did - how did this come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-think-i-m-fascinated-with-history-and-just-in-general-and-i-m/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) > [The more I listened and became obsessed with singers, I feel like the more I realized that I had my own little thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/the-more-i-listened-and-became-obsessed-with-singers-i-feel-like-the/) [Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) [Explore all 17 Cecile McLorin Salvant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/) ## 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": "Just reading that - just reading that a person can be black and still perform in blackface, making fun of black people for a living, and at the same time be a genius and be an incredible entertainer and at the same time be extremely conflicted and feel like - just feel terrible for doing that, essentially, which is what Bert Williams felt, from what I gather, from what I read - all of that just made - was so incredible to me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cecile McLorin Salvant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-person-can-be-black-and-still/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-person-can-be-black-and-still/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/cecile-mclorin-salvant-30311_black_just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-pe_2564463.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Just reading that - just reading that a person can be black and still perform in blackface, making fun of…” — Cecile McLorin Salvant", "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": "Cecile McLorin Salvant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Just reading that - just reading...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-person-can-be-black-and-still/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/just-reading-that-just-reading-that-a-person-can-be-black-and-still/#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 } } ] } ```