--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I truly believe that one of the things…" description: "\"I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery and the injustices of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg" --- # I truly believe that one of the things that has been… ![“I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery and the injustices of segregation and racism generally. I truly believe that we cannot come to a place of reconciliation until there is individual repentance and…” quote by David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg) > “I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery and the injustices of segregation and racism generally. I truly believe that we cannot come to a place of reconciliation until there is individual repentance and corporate repentance.” [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. The speaker argues that genuine national healing requires both personal and institutional acknowledgment of past racial wrongs, not just policy changes. **In simple terms:** Healing needs personal and collective repentance. Key Takeaway Repentance precedes reconciliation. Themes Racism Historical injustice Collective responsibility Moral accountability Reconciliation Mood Somber Reflective Hopeful Type Political Moral Social When to use this quote - Public discourse on race - Educational curricula revisions - Corporate diversity initiatives - Community truth‑telling events Key Concepts Slavery Segregation Racial trauma Social healing Practical Applications - Designing reparative justice programs - Facilitating truth and reconciliation commissions Questions to Reflect On - What does repentance look like for individuals versus institutions? - How can society measure genuine repentance? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Corporate Repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate-repentance-407659/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-repentance-407658/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Lacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lacking/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Reconciliation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reconciliation/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repentance/) [Repentance Injustices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repentance-injustices-407657/) [Segregation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/segregation/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Spirit Repentance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit-repentance-407660/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in the USA is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in-the/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony. It is the result of revelation from God, accompanied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/conversion-is-an-enlarging-a-deepening-and-a-broadening-of-the/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [God has always sought a humble people. He can use no other... There is always much need of heart preperation, in humility and separation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bartleman/god-has-always-sought-a-humble-people-he-can-use-no-other-there-is/) [Frank Bartleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bartleman/) > [You cannot play the hypocrite before God; and to obtain pardon you must cease to sin, as well as to be exercised by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/you-cannot-play-the-hypocrite-before-god-and-to-obtain-pardon-you/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The depth of revival will be determined exactly by the depth of the spirit of repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bartleman/the-depth-of-revival-will-be-determined-exactly-by-the-depth-of-the/) [Frank Bartleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bartleman/) > [Confession should be a daily activity for the Christian, whose entire pilgrimage is characterized by the spirit of repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/confession-should-be-a-daily-activity-for-the-christian-whose-entire/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [I truly believe slavery is why, as a by-product, we still have a disproportionate amount of black men incarcerated in the USA. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-slavery-is-why-as-a-by-product-we-still-have-a/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [That white uniform was her 'pass' to get into white places with us - the grocery store, the state fair, the movies. Even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/that-white-uniform-was-her-pass-to-get-into-white-places-with-us-the/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [Mindset changes are not happening from change in legislation. Like desegregation. We legally got rid of legal segregation, but schools are still segregated. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-meier/mindset-changes-are-not-happening-from-change-in-legislation-like/) [Deborah Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-meier/) > [It happens a lot every four years, or it used to, every time the Paralympics comes around. They'll be like: 'We've had this idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mccausland/it-happens-a-lot-every-four-years-or-it-used-to-every-time-the/) [Chris McCausland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mccausland/) > [It's so Canada. On some level, you laugh, but on another level, it's just depressing. We pride ourselves: We're not like the bad old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-backhouse/it-s-so-canada-on-some-level-you-laugh-but-on-another-level-it-s-just/) [Constance Backhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-backhouse/) > [I decided to lock myself in. A forced segregation. Sabbatical. A retreat into myself. My selves. Play hide and go seek in the looking-glass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/i-decided-to-lock-myself-in-a-forced-segregation-sabbatical-a-retreat/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [I never knew about racial segregation until Martin Luther King.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradley/i-never-knew-about-racial-segregation-until-martin-luther-king/) [Charles Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradley/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [I'm one of those actors who says, "Point me toward the work that matters to me and I don't care where you're putting it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-m-one-of-those-actors-who-says-point-me-toward-the-work-that/) [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 truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery and the injustices of segregation and racism generally. I truly believe that we cannot come to a place of reconciliation until there is individual repentance and corporate repentance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Oyelowo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fad/david-oyelowo-7952_america_i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-t_24565.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the…” — David Oyelowo", "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": "David Oyelowo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I truly believe that one of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/#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 } } ] } ```