--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not post-racial. And in many ways…" description: "\"We are not post-racial. And in many ways we don't even know how to have a conversation about being post-racial. Until we get out of that old-school way..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/donna-brazile-2392_ability_we-are-not-post-racial-and-in-many-ways_1199230.png" --- # We are not post-racial. And in many ways we don't even… ![“We are not post-racial. And in many ways we don't even know how to have a conversation about being post-racial. Until we get out of that old-school way of thinking about race and opportunity and the ability to transcend some of the past of this country, then we're going to be stuck in the…” quote by Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/donna-brazile-2392_ability_we-are-not-post-racial-and-in-many-ways_1199230.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/donna-brazile-2392_ability_we-are-not-post-racial-and-in-many-ways_1199230.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/donna-brazile-2392_ability_we-are-not-post-racial-and-in-many-ways_1199230.png) > “We are not post-racial. And in many ways we don't even know how to have a conversation about being post-racial. Until we get out of that old-school way of thinking about race and opportunity and the ability to transcend some of the past of this country, then we're going to be stuck in the 20th-century conversation about race.” [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We cannot claim to have moved beyond race while still using outdated frameworks that ignore historical context. **In simple terms:** We need new ways to discuss race beyond old ideas. Key Takeaway Adopt fresh, inclusive perspectives on race. Themes race politics history dialogue Mood critical reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy debates - community workshops - educational curricula - media analysis Key Concepts systemic inequality identity politics social progress Questions to Reflect On - How can we reshape conversations about race? - What old assumptions limit progress? A Different Perspective Changing language alone won’t fix deep-rooted biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Post Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-racial-640422/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial/) [Racial Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-old-3589141/) [Racial Ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-ways-3589142/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Stuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuck/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-race-1173521/) [Transcend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcend/) [Until](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/until/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way of thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-thinking/) [Ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways/) ## Related quotes > [I dream of a post-racial society that is not categorized by the color of their skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/i-dream-of-a-post-racial-society-that-is-not-categorized-by-the-color/) [Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/) > [Welcome to post-racial America. I'm the face of post-racial America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/welcome-to-post-racial-america-i-m-the-face-of-post-racial-america/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [When Obama came to power, there was a lot of talk about a post-racial America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-koenig/when-obama-came-to-power-there-was-a-lot-of-talk-about-a-post-racial/) [Ezra Koenig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-koenig/) > [It's hard to say when or if we will actually arrive at that place called 'post-racial', or, better yet, post-racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/it-s-hard-to-say-when-or-if-we-will-actually-arrive-at-that-place/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I think there's a lot of shame in American race relations. There's a lot of suppressed guilt that lashes itself out still. I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-shame-in-american-race-relations-there-s-a/) [Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/) > [I think we are aware that post-racialism isn't real, right? I mean, I hope so. I kind of joke that we're post-post-racial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-think-we-are-aware-that-post-racialism-isn-t-real-right-i-mean-i/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [America is decidedly not 'post-racial.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/america-is-decidedly-not-post-racial/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [I think you're only post-racial when you stop asking if you're post-racial. When the Neanderthals finally stopped asking themselves if they were in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-think-you-re-only-post-racial-when-you-stop-asking-if-you-re-post/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Part of the desire to live in a post-racial world includes the desire not to have to talk about racism, which includes a false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/part-of-the-desire-to-live-in-a-post-racial-world-includes-the-desire/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [We should not be post-racial: seeking to get beyond the uplifting meanings and edifying registers of blackness. Rather, we should be post-racist: moving beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/we-should-not-be-post-racial-seeking-to-get-beyond-the-uplifting/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Being asked to describe what 'post-racial' means is a bit like being asked to describe a leprechaun, cold fusion or unicorns: we know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/being-asked-to-describe-what-post-racial-means-is-a-bit-like-being/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I think "post-racial" is a dangerous trap. You can fall into complacency and give your complicity a much more dangerous character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-boesak/i-think-post-racial-is-a-dangerous-trap-you-can-fall-into-complacency/) [Allan Boesak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-boesak/) > [In spite of what some people claim, we are not in a post-racial era. I think it's still an important issue to bring up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-jamal-warner/in-spite-of-what-some-people-claim-we-are-not-in-a-post-racial-era-i/) [Malcolm-Jamal Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-jamal-warner/) > [I'm the face of post racial America, deal with it Cate Blanchett.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-m-the-face-of-post-racial-america-deal-with-it-cate-blanchett/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [I am aware of the changes, but in no sense am I believer that we live in a post-racial society. That's a description of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/i-am-aware-of-the-changes-but-in-no-sense-am-i-believer-that-we-live/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) ## More by Donna Brazile > [“Wait,” I said. “That victory fund was supposed to be for whoever was the nominee, and the state party races. You’re telling me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/wait-i-said-that-victory-fund-was-supposed-to-be-for-whoever-was-the/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [We were not republicans or democrats during Katrina. We truly were all Americans, and Trent Lott came through for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/we-were-not-republicans-or-democrats-during-katrina-we-truly-were-all/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“As I stood up to walk to the spin room I saw that it was different for this debate. We were surrounded by gossip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/as-i-stood-up-to-walk-to-the-spin-room-i-saw-that-it-was-different/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [Since Bush has been in office, African-American women have fallen behind in terms of income and wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/since-bush-has-been-in-office-african-american-women-have-fallen/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“I didn’t believe that these nice liberals would have missed seeing the film 12 Years a Slave, in which Solomon Northup’s friend Patsey was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/i-didn-t-believe-that-these-nice-liberals-would-have-missed-seeing/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [Trent Lott saved my family. I needed three things from him personally, and he came through for me. He made sure that the ice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/trent-lott-saved-my-family-i-needed-three-things-from-him-personally/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [No voters will be left behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/no-voters-will-be-left-behind/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [There's no question that Donald Trump has said things that are very unsettling. I mean, whether it's comparing Mexicans to rapists, demonizing Muslim Americans,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/there-s-no-question-that-donald-trump-has-said-things-that-are-very/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“Although the Russians had sown disinformation through fake news in the Ukrainian election in 2014 and hacked into the election system to manipulate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/although-the-russians-had-sown-disinformation-through-fake-news-in/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [Donald Trump has not held an event in the black community. He has not gone to a black church, as Hillary Clinton has done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/donald-trump-has-not-held-an-event-in-the-black-community-he-has-not/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“learned two things from the students. One was that they disliked identity politics. They thought that Hillary spent too much time trying to appeal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/learned-two-things-from-the-students-one-was-that-they-disliked/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [If a critic doesn't think I can act, it's because I'm not acting. That's me - and that's the way I act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/if-a-critic-doesn-t-think-i-can-act-it-s-because-i-m-not-acting-that/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“After CrowdStrike rebuilt the system, all of our staff had to learn new computers, new log-ins, new procedures, at the moment when their personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/after-crowdstrike-rebuilt-the-system-all-of-our-staff-had-to-learn/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“The fact that the press could not get a straight explanation out of Hillary or her staff meant they turned to the next person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/the-fact-that-the-press-could-not-get-a-straight-explanation-out-of/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“We decided about six in the morning that we did not want Chip to suffer. His last act was to kiss Betsy on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/we-decided-about-six-in-the-morning-that-we-did-not-want-chip-to/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) [Explore all 169 Donna Brazile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are not post-racial. 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