--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let me tell you, never before in the…" description: "\"Let me tell you, never before in the history of this planet has anybody made the progress that African-Americans have made in a 30-year period, in spit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg" --- # Let me tell you, never before in the history of this… ![“Let me tell you, never before in the history of this planet has anybody made the progress that African-Americans have made in a 30-year period, in spite of many black folks and white folks lying to one another.” quote by Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg) > “Let me tell you, never before in the history of this planet has anybody made the progress that African-Americans have made in a 30-year period, in spite of many black folks and white folks lying to one another.” [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. African-Americans achieved remarkable progress in 30 years despite mutual distrust among races. **In simple terms:** Significant advancement occurred despite racial tensions. Key Takeaway Recognize and build on past progress. Themes civil rights racial relations progress history Mood reflective inspirational Type historical motivational When to use this quote - policy reform - education initiatives - community organizing Key Concepts social change community resilience interracial dialogue Questions to Reflect On - What factors drove this rapid progress? - How can trust be rebuilt across communities? A Different Perspective Progress can be uneven and face backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-americans/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-folks/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Folks Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks-lying-2013651/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progress African](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-african-3648964/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) ## Related quotes > [It's undeniable there's been remarkable progress for African-Americans in this country. They've been elected senators and governors and running major corporations. But obviously we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-bash/it-s-undeniable-there-s-been-remarkable-progress-for-african/) [Dana Bash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-bash/) > [anytime you catch folks lying, they scared of something!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/anytime-you-catch-folks-lying-they-scared-of-something/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Just because a black man is running the RNC doesn't mean black folks are going to, 'Oh, OK, I will be a Republican.' Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-steele/just-because-a-black-man-is-running-the-rnc-doesn-t-mean-black-folks/) [Michael Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-steele/) > [Why are black folks singing Amazing Grace which is a song about a white slaver's conversion?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/why-are-black-folks-singing-amazing-grace-which-is-a-song-about-a/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [What happens to Black Folks today, happens to White Folks tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/what-happens-to-black-folks-today-happens-to-white-folks-tomorrow/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Black folks tell their kids they have to be twice as good as a white person? Well, if I tell a child of mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/black-folks-tell-their-kids-they-have-to-be-twice-as-good-as-a-white/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Race doesn't really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don't have that choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/race-doesn-t-really-exist-for-you-because-it-has-never-been-a-barrier/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [There's no doubt that many of the mainstream white institutions tend to be cosmetic and symbolic when it comes to including African-Americans, whereas we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-s-no-doubt-that-many-of-the-mainstream-white-institutions-tend/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [In spite of their obvious differences, folk art and popular art have much in common; they are easy to understand, they are romantic, patriotic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-seldes/in-spite-of-their-obvious-differences-folk-art-and-popular-art-have/) [Gilbert Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-seldes/) > [Black folks aren't asked to make films about all white people. But what would have happened if we did? What would white culture look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/black-folks-aren-t-asked-to-make-films-about-all-white-people-but/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [“White folks have spent years giving Black folks their freedom on paper, but deep down they still expect us to say yes, massuh and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/white-folks-have-spent-years-giving-black-folks-their-freedom-on/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [One of the things I recognized early on, doing whatever studies of black history I have, is that even though black folks were transported…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/one-of-the-things-i-recognized-early-on-doing-whatever-studies-of/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [The only black folks in town when I was growing up were me and my cousins and one other family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-a-kemp/the-only-black-folks-in-town-when-i-was-growing-up-were-me-and-my/) [Courtney A. Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-a-kemp/) > [It's good to be surrounded by black folks. Black folks are music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/it-s-good-to-be-surrounded-by-black-folks-black-folks-are-music/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) > [“Religion can be a good thing. Churches did black folks good after Reconstruction. It was the only place people like Nat Turner and Douglass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaunda-micheaux-nelson/religion-can-be-a-good-thing-churches-did-black-folks-good-after/) [Vaunda Micheaux Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaunda-micheaux-nelson/) ## More by Dick Gregory > [My belief is, you know, certain things have to be explained that's never been explained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/my-belief-is-you-know-certain-things-have-to-be-explained-that-s/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-saying-if-i-couldn-t-get-paid-for/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [What price would God demand from the churches for having the audacity to lighten the color of his son's skin, and straighten out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/what-price-would-god-demand-from-the-churches-for-having-the-audacity/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [In the South they don't mind how close I get, so long as I don't get too big. In the North they don't mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/in-the-south-they-don-t-mind-how-close-i-get-so-long-as-i-don-t-get/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Eating liver out of a cow's body is like eating the filter out of a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/eating-liver-out-of-a-cow-s-body-is-like-eating-the-filter-out-of-a/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-never-learned-hate-at-home-or-shame-i-had-to-go-to-school-for-that/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I am one of the funniest people on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-am-one-of-the-funniest-people-on-the-planet/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [“Dear Momma―Wherever you are, if ever you hear the word "nigger" again, remember they are advertising my book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/dear-momma-wherever-you-are-if-ever-you-hear-the-word-nigger-again/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [The NAACP is a wonderful organization . . . But do you realize if tomorrow morning we had complete integration, all them cats would be outta work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/the-naacp-is-a-wonderful-organization-but-do-you-realize-if-tomorrow/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Fear and God do not occupy the same space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/fear-and-god-do-not-occupy-the-same-space/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I used to get letters saying, 'I didn't know black children and white children were the same.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-used-to-get-letters-saying-i-didn-t-know-black-children-and-white/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [People keep telling me about the white race and the black race - and it really doesn't make sense. I played Miami, met a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/people-keep-telling-me-about-the-white-race-and-the-black-race-and-it/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [If I had to write down the most important people in the history of this planet, No.1 would be (abolitionist) John Brown. Why? Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/if-i-had-to-write-down-the-most-important-people-in-the-history-of/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Last time I was down South I walked into this restaurant, and this white waitress came up to me and said: 'We don't serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/last-time-i-was-down-south-i-walked-into-this-restaurant-and-this/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Once we used to have to crank up our cars, now you can pop it on from inside your house. Everything has changed except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/once-we-used-to-have-to-crank-up-our-cars-now-you-can-pop-it-on-from/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) [Explore all 135 Dick Gregory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) ## More African americans quotes > [In a lot of movies, African-Americans are either maids or slaves, but that's not all they were. We need to show that. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/in-a-lot-of-movies-african-americans-are-either-maids-or-slaves-but/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [I know I'm more forgiving than most African Americans when it comes to second chances for White people who not only commit a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-more-forgiving-than-most-african-americans-when-it-comes/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. In Blackmon’s estimation, “roughly half of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/alabama-in-1927-alone-27-701-men-were-arrested-on-misdemeanor-charges/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [“He (Zerubavel) draws attention to the social influences on perception (what people notice), attention and concern (what people care about), classification (how people categorize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-griswold/he-zerubavel-draws-attention-to-the-social-influences-on-perception/) [Wendy Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-griswold/) > [To those African-Americans suffering in our country, I say, what do you have to lose? Vote for Trump, I'm going to fix it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/to-those-african-americans-suffering-in-our-country-i-say-what-do-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Affirmative action was designed to recognize the uniquely difficult journey of African-Americans. This policy was justifiable and understandable, even to those who came from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-webb/affirmative-action-was-designed-to-recognize-the-uniquely-difficult/) [Jim Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-webb/) > [“The black officer checks Daddy while his partner glances around at all of the onlookers. There's quite a few of us now. Ms. Yvette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/the-black-officer-checks-daddy-while-his-partner-glances-around-at/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [African Americans are doing a lot already, but I think we have an opportunity right now to change politics in a way that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckmann/african-americans-are-doing-a-lot-already-but-i-think-we-have-an/) [David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) > [The uncomfortable reality we must face is that California, like the nation as a whole, has treated generations of African Americans and Latinos as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-uncomfortable-reality-we-must-face-is-that-california-like-the/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Since the nations founding, African Americans repeatedly have been controlled through institutions such as slavery and Jim Crow, which appear to die but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/since-the-nations-founding-african-americans-repeatedly-have-been/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [You take a look at the history of African Americans in the US. There's been about thirty years of relative freedom. There was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-take-a-look-at-the-history-of-african-americans-in-the-us-there-s/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Michael Schultz's 'Cooley High' is a classic. Oftentimes, we don't get to see films about coming of age, especially for young African Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salim-akil/michael-schultz-s-cooley-high-is-a-classic-oftentimes-we-don-t-get-to/) [Salim Akil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salim-akil/) > [As African-Americans, we don't start with a blank slate, while other people may. In our position, there's always some sort of stereotype that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavier-woods/as-african-americans-we-don-t-start-with-a-blank-slate-while-other/) [Xavier Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavier-woods/) [Browse all 593 African americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let me tell you, never before in the history of this planet has anybody made the progress that African-Americans have made in a 30-year period, in spite of many black folks and white folks lying to one another.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dick Gregory" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-history-of-this-planet-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "African americans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-history-of-this-planet-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fa/dick-gregory-3266_black_let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-hist_1263829.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Let me tell you, never before in the history of this planet has anybody made the progress that…” — Dick Gregory", "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": "Dick Gregory", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Let me tell you, never before...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-history-of-this-planet-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/let-me-tell-you-never-before-in-the-history-of-this-planet-has/#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 } } ] } ```