--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that having a black president in…" description: "\"I think that having a black president in America has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially in America. I think that America..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-think-that-having-a-black-president-in_2201336.jpg" --- # I think that having a black president in America has been… ![“I think that having a black president in America has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially in America. I think that America is now engaging with how we have come to this point.” quote by David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-think-that-having-a-black-president-in_2201336.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-think-that-having-a-black-president-in_2201336.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-think-that-having-a-black-president-in_2201336.jpg) > “I think that having a black president in America has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially in America. I think that America is now engaging with how we have come to this point.” [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Having a Black president marked a profound cultural shift, prompting America to confront its racial history and current dynamics. **In simple terms:** A Black president changed how America sees race. Key Takeaway Recognize the shift and its impact. Themes race politics social change Mood thoughtful critical Type political social When to use this quote - political discourse - education reform - community dialogue - media analysis Key Concepts representation identity historical reckoning Questions to Reflect On - What concrete changes have followed this shift? - How can society move beyond symbolism? A Different Perspective Change may be symbolic without systemic policy reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think that having a black president in this country has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-think-that-having-a-black-president-in-this-country-has-been-a/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I like having black hair. When I was really young, I wanted to be Asian - Asian hair is beautiful. I also wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-like-having-black-hair-when-i-was-really-young-i-wanted-to-be-asian/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [Does anyone actually think that Beckham knows he's in America? I think he just follows a football and all he notices is that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/does-anyone-actually-think-that-beckham-knows-he-s-in-america-i-think/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [As I read some of these quotes and comments, I am thinking to myself, how ungrateful nation we have become. This country offers hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farid-olomi/as-i-read-some-of-these-quotes-and-comments-i-am-thinking-to-myself/) Farid Olomi > [ We have got to fight it \[Communism\] with something better, not try to conceal the thinking of our own people. They are part of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/we-have-got-to-fight-it-communism-with-something-better-not-try-to/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I love America. I think it's the best country in the world. But I also think we're not tending to our sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/i-love-america-i-think-it-s-the-best-country-in-the-world-but-i-also/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [We're in a mess in America, and it's because of what you think. We're in a mess because of your party. We're in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-a-mess-in-america-and-it-s-because-of-what-you-think-we-re/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think we are dying in America, I think our democracy is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-lee-jones/i-think-we-are-dying-in-america-i-think-our-democracy-is-over/) [Rickie Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-lee-jones/) > [When you say if you have faith in America, I think it's the faith in the fact that we're going to end up changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/when-you-say-if-you-have-faith-in-america-i-think-it-s-the-faith-in/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I don't think Muslims do hate America. I think that's what we hear and that's what we believe. I don't think that's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-spurlock/i-don-t-think-muslims-do-hate-america-i-think-that-s-what-we-hear-and/) [Morgan Spurlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-spurlock/) > [We have this idea in our minds that there's this separation of church and state in America, which I think is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/we-have-this-idea-in-our-minds-that-there-s-this-separation-of-church/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [ If I hadn't been living here \[in America\], do you think we would have gotten a Grammy? No chance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/if-i-hadn-t-been-living-here-in-america-do-you-think-we-would-have/) [Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/) > [Everybody has their own America, and then they have pieces of a fantasy America that they think is out there but they can't see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/everybody-has-their-own-america-and-then-they-have-pieces-of-a/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Every high school and college graduate in America should, I think, have some familiarity with statistics, economics and a foreign language such as Spanish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/every-high-school-and-college-graduate-in-america-should-i-think-have/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [So I was thinking I go to America. I think that would work, conquering America. Because they're so upbeat and positive and polite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-morgan/so-i-was-thinking-i-go-to-america-i-think-that-would-work-conquering/) [Diane Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-morgan/) ## More by David Oyelowo > [At the end of the day, everyone knows what it is to be loved and to aspire to love someone, to want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/at-the-end-of-the-day-everyone-knows-what-it-is-to-be-loved-and-to/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [As you know, Sunday at 11 o'clock is the most segregated hour in America. You have black churches; you have white churches; you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/as-you-know-sunday-at-11-o-clock-is-the-most-segregated-hour-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [If you merely focus on what we already know, then it's not revelatory. You may as well just go and watch a documentary or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/if-you-merely-focus-on-what-we-already-know-then-it-s-not-revelatory/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I basically enjoy doing films that are about something, that have complex roles that I can sink my teeth into. Basically, I gravitate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-basically-enjoy-doing-films-that-are-about-something-that-have/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [In my time since moving to the United States, I've found that there is a dearth of great writing for black people. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/in-my-time-since-moving-to-the-united-states-i-ve-found-that-there-is/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [We can't afford to deny our past in a bid to be empowered. But what we can do is contextualize the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/we-can-t-afford-to-deny-our-past-in-a-bid-to-be-empowered-but-what-we/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I don't have a tailor, but I do love clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-don-t-have-a-tailor-but-i-do-love-clothes/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I am a father, I am very aware of the things that I'm putting out in the world knowing that one day my children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-am-a-father-i-am-very-aware-of-the-things-that-i-m-putting-out-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I feel television is in a fantastically rich vein of what it's presenting both by opportunity to actors and to audiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-feel-television-is-in-a-fantastically-rich-vein-of-what-it-s/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I do think how two people dance with each other is indicative of how they feel about each other. It can tell a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-do-think-how-two-people-dance-with-each-other-is-indicative-of-how/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Excellence is the best weapon against prejudice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/excellence-is-the-best-weapon-against-prejudice/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [People have compact to go beyond our own culture and upbringing to a degree that I think we don't acknowledge enough really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/people-have-compact-to-go-beyond-our-own-culture-and-upbringing-to-a/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I truly believe that we cannot come to a place of reconciliation until there is individual repentance and corporate repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-we-cannot-come-to-a-place-of-reconciliation/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Africa is trying to find its way back to a sense of itself, when much of that was lost through colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/africa-is-trying-to-find-its-way-back-to-a-sense-of-itself-when-much/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) [Explore all 85 David Oyelowo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that having a black president in America has been a seismic shift, in terms of what has been going on racially in America. 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