--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have been attacked and mistreated for…" description: "\"I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.\" — Daryl Davis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg" --- # I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour… ![“I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.” quote by Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg) > “I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.” [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recounts lifelong racial discrimination, highlighting the persistent impact of skin color on personal experiences. **In simple terms:** Racial bias has haunted me since childhood. Key Takeaway Color‑based prejudice endures. Themes racism identity social injustice personal trauma Mood sorrowful resolute Type social personal When to use this quote - school bullying - workplace harassment - public policy debates Key Concepts systemic oppression psychological effects of discrimination Practical Applications - implement anti‑bias training - support community counseling Questions to Reflect On - How does early trauma shape later activism? - What societal changes can reduce color‑based prejudice? A Different Perspective Individual anecdotes may not capture structural dimensions of racism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Colour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour/) [Skin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin/) ## Related quotes > [My greatest vanity is my skin. It is the colour of gingerbread and, thanks to my mother's genes, smooth and mostly blemish-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/my-greatest-vanity-is-my-skin-it-is-the-colour-of-gingerbread-and/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Don't be mean to people because of their skin colour, because of what they love, because of who they love, because of what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhea-ripley/don-t-be-mean-to-people-because-of-their-skin-colour-because-of-what/) [Rhea Ripley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhea-ripley/) > [“Skin the colour of chestnuts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/skin-the-colour-of-chestnuts/) [Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/) > [I don't care one bit about people's race or skin colour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/i-don-t-care-one-bit-about-people-s-race-or-skin-colour/) [Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/) > [Ajax is a multicultural club, and we have found that many talented immigrant players quit when they reach puberty. So we wanted to tackle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruyff/ajax-is-a-multicultural-club-and-we-have-found-that-many-talented/) [Johan Cruyff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruyff/) > [Most Britons still lived and died without encountering anyone whose skin colour was different from their own. Slaves, in short, did not threaten, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/most-britons-still-lived-and-died-without-encountering-anyone-whose/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In practice it is possible to determine directly the skin colour and hence the ethnic affiliations of the ancient Egyptians by microscopic analysis in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheikh-anta-diop/in-practice-it-is-possible-to-determine-directly-the-skin-colour-and/) [Cheikh Anta Diop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheikh-anta-diop/) > [I truly love my hair but my skin colour was something I couldn't get my head around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/i-truly-love-my-hair-but-my-skin-colour-was-something-i-couldn-t-get/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [No matter that you're a British citizen, no matter that you were born here - your skin colour means you do not have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-olusoga/no-matter-that-you-re-a-british-citizen-no-matter-that-you-were-born/) [David Olusoga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-olusoga/) > [People are having to come to terms with the question: how important is it, really, that Obama is black? Yes, skin colour is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lester/people-are-having-to-come-to-terms-with-the-question-how-important-is/) [Adrian Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lester/) > [“Acknowledging that my skin was, in fact, Cocoa as it is, would have destroyed their narrative about who I really was. Therefore they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitta-xinindlu/acknowledging-that-my-skin-was-in-fact-cocoa-as-it-is-would-have/) [Mitta Xinindlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitta-xinindlu/) > [“In practice, race was a sliding signifier in Jamaica. The social slippage – the sliding of the signifier – was extensive, constitutive of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-hall/in-practice-race-was-a-sliding-signifier-in-jamaica-the-social/) [Stuart Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-hall/) > [Some things you never really fully understand unless you are actually black and you experience how it feels when someone treats you differently based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-tracey/some-things-you-never-really-fully-understand-unless-you-are-actually/) [AJ Tracey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-tracey/) > [It's crazy to me that people still need to feel better than other people because of something as simple as skin colour or sexuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-o-brian/it-s-crazy-to-me-that-people-still-need-to-feel-better-than-other/) [Katy O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-o-brian/) > [I've never claimed myself to be a particularly Asian R&B singer. I'm R&B, pure and simple, regardless of my skin colour. Should that matter?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sean/i-ve-never-claimed-myself-to-be-a-particularly-asian-r-b-singer-i-m-r/) [Jay Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sean/) ## More by Daryl Davis > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [They've changed the name from white supremacy to white separatists, to white nationalists, to alt-right. It's the same thing. A rose by any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/they-ve-changed-the-name-from-white-supremacy-to-white-separatists-to/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [If you have an adversary, an opponent with an opposing point of view, give that person a platform, regardless of how extreme it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/if-you-have-an-adversary-an-opponent-with-an-opposing-point-of-view/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [At the end, ignorance is the source of biases. If we cure that, there's nothing to fear and hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/at-the-end-ignorance-is-the-source-of-biases-if-we-cure-that-there-s/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [There's a difference between being ignorant and being stupid... For me, an ignorant person is someone who makes the wrong decision or a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/there-s-a-difference-between-being-ignorant-and-being-stupid-for-me/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Find someone who disagrees and invite them to your table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/find-someone-who-disagrees-and-invite-them-to-your-table/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Our society can only become one of two things, it can be become what we let it become or it can become what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/our-society-can-only-become-one-of-two-things-it-can-be-become-what/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [If you were to talk to somebody from Georgia you would understand what he's saying, he wouldn't sound like your next-door neighbor in Montana,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/if-you-were-to-talk-to-somebody-from-georgia-you-would-understand/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Every racist that I know - and I know a lot of racists - every racist that I know voted for Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/every-racist-that-i-know-and-i-know-a-lot-of-racists-every-racist/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [It was incomprehensible to me that someone who had never seen me before, someone who knew absolutely nothing about me, would want to inflict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/it-was-incomprehensible-to-me-that-someone-who-had-never-seen-me/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [The most important thing I learned is that when you are actively learning about someone else you are passively teaching them about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-is-that-when-you-are-actively/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [You're not going to beat the meanness out of a mean dog. You start beating a mean dog, it's gonna become more mean. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/you-re-not-going-to-beat-the-meanness-out-of-a-mean-dog-you-start/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [He spoke nine languages. You know some people can just pick up an instrument and play. My father was like that with languages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/he-spoke-nine-languages-you-know-some-people-can-just-pick-up-an/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Music absolutely played a massive role in bridging many gaps in the racial divides I would encounter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/music-absolutely-played-a-massive-role-in-bridging-many-gaps-in-the/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [We've simply been putting Band-Aids on the wounds of racism. We haven't drilled down to the bone to get to its source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/we-ve-simply-been-putting-band-aids-on-the-wounds-of-racism-we-haven/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) [Explore all 90 Daryl Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) ## More Attacked quotes > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [“Do you mean you were attacked from behind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/do-you-mean-you-were-attacked-from-behind/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [I am one of the most attacked persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/i-am-one-of-the-most-attacked-persons/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [I'm always ready to be attacked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-votto/i-m-always-ready-to-be-attacked/) [Joey Votto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-votto/) > [I prefer to be at home with my husband and children than attacked by photographers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-princess-of-hanover/i-prefer-to-be-at-home-with-my-husband-and-children-than-attacked-by/) [Caroline, Princess of Hanover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-princess-of-hanover/) > [When Gingrich attacked CNN's John King for bringing up his alleged proposal of an open marriage to his second wife, Gingrich accused him of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/when-gingrich-attacked-cnn-s-john-king-for-bringing-up-his-alleged/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Progress is always relative: to the oppressed, it can only be viewed as an all or nothing deal - if oppression continues, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/progress-is-always-relative-to-the-oppressed-it-can-only-be-viewed-as/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [ \[On her seven-month-old son:\] When people see me carrying him in the street they think I'm being attacked by a short, bald man. But… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hurley/on-her-seven-month-old-son-when-people-see-me-carrying-him-in-the/) [Elizabeth Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hurley/) > [Therefore, if you are attacked, retaliate instantly. Be sudden. Be quick. Speed is your salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/therefore-if-you-are-attacked-retaliate-instantly-be-sudden-be-quick/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“His life was a constant war with insensate objects that fell apart, or attacked him, or refused to function, or viciously got themselves lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/his-life-was-a-constant-war-with-insensate-objects-that-fell-apart-or/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“One can,' said Ernest 'remain unmoved before a cloud as before an automatic ticket machine. I don't like poetry, I don't like flowers, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-desnos/one-can-said-ernest-remain-unmoved-before-a-cloud-as-before-an/) Robert Desnos Browse all 244 Attacked quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daryl Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attacked" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/daryl-davis-7572_attacked_i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for_107421.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.” — Daryl Davis", "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": "Daryl Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have been attacked and mistreated...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/#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 } } ] } ```