--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first black president will be a…" description: "\"The first black president will be a politician who is black.\" — Douglas Wilder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/325/douglas-wilder-24913_black_the-first-black-president-will-be-a-poli_244724.png" --- # The first black president will be a politician who is black. ![“The first black president will be a politician who is black.” quote by Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/325/douglas-wilder-24913_black_the-first-black-president-will-be-a-poli_244724.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/325/douglas-wilder-24913_black_the-first-black-president-will-be-a-poli_244724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/325/douglas-wilder-24913_black_the-first-black-president-will-be-a-poli_244724.png) > “The first black president will be a politician who is black.” [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A Black president must first be a competent leader, not just a symbol of race. **In simple terms:** Leadership matters more than race. Key Takeaway Focus on competence, not identity. Themes leadership race politics representation identity Mood inspirational critical hopeful Type political social When to use this quote - political campaigns - government appointments - public perception Key Concepts systemic bias electoral dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure meritocracy in elections? - What role does representation play in governance? A Different Perspective Emphasizing race can distract from policy competence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [I would love to see Mr. (Henry) Ford in there, really. I don't know who started the idea that a President must be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-would-love-to-see-mr-henry-ford-in-there-really-i-don-t-know-who/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [As a black member of parliament and minister for nearly a decade, I was determined not to be defined by my race. 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If Reagan can do it, I know I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-epps/i-m-going-to-be-the-first-black-president-of-the-united-states-if/) [Omar Epps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-epps/) > [In 2016, the conversation of the black experience is so broad, and it's very raw. I mean, c'mon, we have a black president. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-shaheed-muhammad/in-2016-the-conversation-of-the-black-experience-is-so-broad-and-it-s/) [Ali Shaheed Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-shaheed-muhammad/) > [Even Toni Morrison claiming Bill Clinton as 'black' could not prepare us for the election of America's first undeniably black president, Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/even-toni-morrison-claiming-bill-clinton-as-black-could-not-prepare/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [We've come a long way from the days of Jim Crow, and yes, we elected a black president, but racism lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/we-ve-come-a-long-way-from-the-days-of-jim-crow-and-yes-we-elected-a/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [All that rejection from Republicans has a bit of a racist element. It was very necessary to have a black president, and it's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/all-that-rejection-from-republicans-has-a-bit-of-a-racist-element-it/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [My kids did not know that Obama was the first black president. I felt like I needed to tell them because I felt like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/my-kids-did-not-know-that-obama-was-the-first-black-president-i-felt/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I figured that if we had to choose the woman president, she'd be the first woman president, and if we had the kid from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-figured-that-if-we-had-to-choose-the-woman-president-she-d-be-the/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [Wasn't Winston Churchill the first black president of America? There's a statue of him near me... that's black...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-o-hara/wasn-t-winston-churchill-the-first-black-president-of-america-there-s/) Danielle O'Hara > [I wonder: Would there be a black president if people hadn't already begun imagining, through film and television, that a black man is president?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-nottage/i-wonder-would-there-be-a-black-president-if-people-hadn-t-already/) [Lynn Nottage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-nottage/) > [I had great admiration for the election of President Obama. I believe that the U.S. at that moment showed tremendous capacity to show that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilma-rousseff/i-had-great-admiration-for-the-election-of-president-obama-i-believe/) [Dilma Rousseff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilma-rousseff/) > [In my wildest dreams, I never would have thought we'd come to the point where were talking about the re-election of a black president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-gantt/in-my-wildest-dreams-i-never-would-have-thought-we-d-come-to-the/) [Harvey Gantt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-gantt/) ## More by Douglas Wilder > [Africa is not a country, but it is a continent like none other. It has that which is elegantly vast or awfully little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/africa-is-not-a-country-but-it-is-a-continent-like-none-other-it-has/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Government or politics in America today is big business. Everybody makes money involving themselves in one way or the other, whether it's pollsters, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/government-or-politics-in-america-today-is-big-business-everybody/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Sept. 11 jolted America out of its second gilded age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/sept-11-jolted-america-out-of-its-second-gilded-age/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Greece's European neighbors were able step in and bolster the weak foundation on which Greece's free-spending budget was based. It would be difficult for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/greece-s-european-neighbors-were-able-step-in-and-bolster-the-weak/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Since Obama has expressed admiration for the portrait of Abraham Lincoln that Doris Kearns Goodwin paints in 'Team of Rivals,' he could do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/since-obama-has-expressed-admiration-for-the-portrait-of-abraham/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [My experience politically has always been that one-word definition of politics: money. Keep your eye on the buck. And that tells you where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/my-experience-politically-has-always-been-that-one-word-definition-of/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [During the 2008 campaign, I strongly endorsed Barack Obama for president. I did so early, when many Democratic leaders - including many prominent African-American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/during-the-2008-campaign-i-strongly-endorsed-barack-obama-for/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Certain black leaders would believe that you have to go through their prism: 'If I lay my hand on you, you're OK.' So many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/certain-black-leaders-would-believe-that-you-have-to-go-through-their/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [What is blackness? Is it the way you talk? Do you got to say, 'Dey this, dey dat.' Or the way you dress? Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/what-is-blackness-is-it-the-way-you-talk-do-you-got-to-say-dey-this/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [You don't ever earn a right to stop doing anything if you feel there is an obligation to move in terms of public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/you-don-t-ever-earn-a-right-to-stop-doing-anything-if-you-feel-there/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Many voted in 2008 with the desire to see racism and racists humiliated by having a qualified black man elected president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/many-voted-in-2008-with-the-desire-to-see-racism-and-racists/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [Slavery is nothing to joke about. The history of this nation's involvement with slavery is nothing to pass off in a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/slavery-is-nothing-to-joke-about-the-history-of-this-nation-s/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [There will be those who will tell you that you can't make it because of how you look, because of the way you talk.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/there-will-be-those-who-will-tell-you-that-you-can-t-make-it-because/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [I fought in Korea, front line. I knew who the enemy were. The enemy were the people who were firing at me. And shooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilder/i-fought-in-korea-front-line-i-knew-who-the-enemy-were-the-enemy-were/) [Douglas Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilder/) > [ Slavery is nothing to joke about! 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