--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we say that black lives matter, it's…" description: "\"When we say that black lives matter, it's not because others don't: it's simply because we must affirm that we are worthy of existing without fear, whe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg" --- # When we say that black lives matter, it's not because… ![“When we say that black lives matter, it's not because others don't: it's simply because we must affirm that we are worthy of existing without fear, when so many things tell us we are not.” quote by Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg) > “When we say that black lives matter, it's not because others don't: it's simply because we must affirm that we are worthy of existing without fear, when so many things tell us we are not.” [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Affirming Black lives is essential for dignity, not a reaction to others’ denial. **In simple terms:** We must affirm Black worth. Key Takeaway Support equity and safety. Themes racial justice affirmation worth fear Mood determined hopeful Type activist motivational When to use this quote - protests - community organizing - education programs Key Concepts social activism human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we create lasting safety? - What actions show true affirmation? A Different Perspective Affirmation alone may not end systemic fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-lives/) [Black lives matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-lives-matter/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [Having support from family, friends - and now fans - definitely helps to affirm that I am worthy, loved, and beautiful. I hope everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khoudia-diop/having-support-from-family-friends-and-now-fans-definitely-helps-to/) [Khoudia Diop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khoudia-diop/) > [Black Lives Matter has become what black communities all over the world have needed it to become. At times, it is a hashtag; at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/black-lives-matter-has-become-what-black-communities-all-over-the/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin, talk show Rush Limbaugh claim - " don't you love that, they "claim."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/former-new-york-mayor-rudy-giuliani-former-alaska-governor-sarah/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Of course Black Lives Matter and the killing of young black boys is heartbreaking to all of us. Everyone knows I am a black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rozonda-thomas/of-course-black-lives-matter-and-the-killing-of-young-black-boys-is/) [Rozonda Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rozonda-thomas/) > [Yet civil rights issues are very much on the front burner in South Carolina between the Black Lives Matter movement and police shootings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shapiro/yet-civil-rights-issues-are-very-much-on-the-front-burner-in-south/) [Ari Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shapiro/) > [When I'm talking to people, I find myself quoting the three organizing rules of Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter was initiated by three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/when-i-m-talking-to-people-i-find-myself-quoting-the-three-organizing/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Everybody's life matters. But that's why we have to say black lives matter, because the highest disproportionality, police brutality, disenfranchisement, education disproportionality in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-dolezal/everybody-s-life-matters-but-that-s-why-we-have-to-say-black-lives/) [Rachel Dolezal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-dolezal/) > [With Black Lives Matter, we knew from the very beginning that it wasn't just going to live online. We were like, 'We're creating this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/with-black-lives-matter-we-knew-from-the-very-beginning-that-it-wasn/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Black immigrants and refugees have just as much at stake in the fight to make Black Lives Matter as African Americans do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/black-immigrants-and-refugees-have-just-as-much-at-stake-in-the-fight/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [Black lives matter' doesn't mean that all lives do not matter, rather it is a cry for equal treatment in the greater circle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/black-lives-matter-doesn-t-mean-that-all-lives-do-not-matter-rather/) [Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/) > [Myself and the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, but in truth, we are loving women whose life experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/myself-and-the-co-founders-of-the-black-lives-matter-movement-have/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [What Black Lives Matter is doing is a deliberate inversion of the proper processes of historical analysis. It is beginning with a conclusion. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/what-black-lives-matter-is-doing-is-a-deliberate-inversion-of-the/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [“I believe Black Lives Matter is a movement to rehumanize black citizens. All lives matter, but not all lives need to be pulled back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-believe-black-lives-matter-is-a-movement-to-rehumanize-black/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [At the end of the day, Black Lives Matter and we all know this and I get when people say all lives matter, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhea-ripley/at-the-end-of-the-day-black-lives-matter-and-we-all-know-this-and-i/) [Rhea Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhea-ripley/) > [Black Lives Matter started from a post that I put on Facebook after the acquittal of George Zimmerman. I woke up in the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-garza/black-lives-matter-started-from-a-post-that-i-put-on-facebook-after/) [Alicia Garza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-garza/) ## More by Clint Smith > [Until affirmative action is described and understood as one mechanism by which to make amends for historical wrongdoing against members of marginalized communities, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/until-affirmative-action-is-described-and-understood-as-one-mechanism/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [If our principles are only our principles when it is convenient for us, when they align with our visceral emotional responses, then they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/if-our-principles-are-only-our-principles-when-it-is-convenient-for/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [The U.S. prison system, over all, disproportionately affects black and brown people, but people of color are overrepresented to a greater degree in private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/the-u-s-prison-system-over-all-disproportionately-affects-black-and/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [America's economy cannot be disentangled from the free labor that built it, just as America's culture cannot be unbound from the black artists who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/america-s-economy-cannot-be-disentangled-from-the-free-labor-that/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [In sixth grade, my status as a Boy Scout was not something I went out of my way to share. In fact, I spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/in-sixth-grade-my-status-as-a-boy-scout-was-not-something-i-went-out/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [The history of racial violence in our country is both omnipresent and unspoken. It is a smog that surrounds us that few will admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/the-history-of-racial-violence-in-our-country-is-both-omnipresent-and/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/if-you-carry-a-gun-people-will-call-you-paranoid-that-s-ridiculous-if/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [When the power of private prisons is diminished, so, too, is their ability to engage in back-door political lobbying that has an impact on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/when-the-power-of-private-prisons-is-diminished-so-too-is-their/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [Systemic racism always takes a toll, whether it be by bullet or by blood clot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/systemic-racism-always-takes-a-toll-whether-it-be-by-bullet-or-by/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [One does not read a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks with hopes that it will grant him a career in engineering; he does so because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/one-does-not-read-a-poem-by-gwendolyn-brooks-with-hopes-that-it-will/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [Education is a human right - a recognition of dignity that each person should be afforded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/education-is-a-human-right-a-recognition-of-dignity-that-each-person/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [Preparing oneself for the possibility of confronting racism triggers something that slowly chips away at physical and emotional well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/preparing-oneself-for-the-possibility-of-confronting-racism-triggers/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [In my home, guns were not something to be earned or celebrated. Water guns and Nerf guns were not allowed outside. B.B. guns were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/in-my-home-guns-were-not-something-to-be-earned-or-celebrated-water/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [If you're not shootin', you should be loadin'. If you're not loadin, you should be movin', if you're not movin', someone's gonna cut your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/if-you-re-not-shootin-you-should-be-loadin-if-you-re-not-loadin-you/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) > [If you only hear one side of the story, at some point, you have to question who the writer is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/if-you-only-hear-one-side-of-the-story-at-some-point-you-have-to/) [Clint Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) [Explore all 116 Clint Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/) ## More Affirm quotes > [“If you show yourself, you will not be seen. If you affirm yourself, you will not shine. If you boast, you will have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/if-you-show-yourself-you-will-not-be-seen-if-you-affirm-yourself-you/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [To affirm a person is to see the good in them that they cannot see in themselves and to repeat it in spite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/to-affirm-a-person-is-to-see-the-good-in-them-that-they-cannot-see-in/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Self-affirm—build yourself up with honest and genuine praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/self-affirm-build-yourself-up-with-honest-and-genuine-praise/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [“But if there is an ongoing, nagging disconnect between, on the one hand, what I can and must affirm to be true and good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-knitter/but-if-there-is-an-ongoing-nagging-disconnect-between-on-the-one-hand/) [Paul F. Knitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-knitter/) > [Affirm the body, beautiful and whole, The earth-expression of immortal soul. Affirm the mind, the messenger of the hour, To speed between thee and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/affirm-the-body-beautiful-and-whole-the-earth-expression-of-immortal/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [“Summoning gratitude is a sure way to get our life back on track. Opening our eyes to affirm gratitude grows the garden of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-katehakis/summoning-gratitude-is-a-sure-way-to-get-our-life-back-on-track/) [Alexandra Katehakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-katehakis/) > [Affirm: I now willingly release all negative beliefs about myself, my life and all other people. I now forgive myself for thinking I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/affirm-i-now-willingly-release-all-negative-beliefs-about-myself-my/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [An affirmation states that a goal is already happening. I'm not crazy about this because, often when we affirm something that is not yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/an-affirmation-states-that-a-goal-is-already-happening-i-m-not-crazy/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [We are here to affirm, not to deny... when we affirm all that is God, all that is not God is automatically denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/we-are-here-to-affirm-not-to-deny-when-we-affirm-all-that-is-god-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [To affirm life is to deepen, to make more inward, and to exalt the will-to-life. At the same time the man who has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/to-affirm-life-is-to-deepen-to-make-more-inward-and-to-exalt-the-will/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [“May all you affirm and believe be given the opportunity to manifest - day by day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleesha/may-all-you-affirm-and-believe-be-given-the-opportunity-to-manifest/) [Eleesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleesha/) > [When you affirm your own Tightness in the universe, then you co operate with others easily and automatically as part of your own nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/when-you-affirm-your-own-tightness-in-the-universe-then-you-co/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) > [“Affirm your life's destiny & purpose to ensure - both are graciously fulfilled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleesha/affirm-your-life-s-destiny-purpose-to-ensure-both-are-graciously/) [Eleesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleesha/) > [Poesy must not be drawn by the ears: it must be gently led, or rather, it must lead, which was partly the cause that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/poesy-must-not-be-drawn-by-the-ears-it-must-be-gently-led-or-rather/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [“Like a pair of old slippers, I feel comfort and warmth as I slip into you. No, that is too crude. Like the match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/like-a-pair-of-old-slippers-i-feel-comfort-and-warmth-as-i-slip-into/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) Browse all 68 Affirm quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we say that black lives matter, it's not because others don't: it's simply because we must affirm that we are worthy of existing without fear, when so many things tell us we are not.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clint Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s-not-because-others-don-t-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affirm" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s-not-because-others-don-t-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/clint-smith-4108_black_when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s_1941785.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we say that black lives matter, it's not because others don't: it's simply because we must affirm that…” — Clint Smith", "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": "Clint Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we say that black lives...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s-not-because-others-don-t-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-smith/when-we-say-that-black-lives-matter-it-s-not-because-others-don-t-it/#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 } } ] } ```