--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People feel uncomfortable talking about…" description: "\"People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out of fear that if they express things, they will be characterized in a way that's not fair. I t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/eric-holder-7429_dialogue_people-feel-uncomfortable-talking-about_1881336.jpg" --- # People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out… ![“People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out of fear that if they express things, they will be characterized in a way that's not fair. I think that there is still a need for a dialogue about things racial that we've not engaged in.” quote by Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/eric-holder-7429_dialogue_people-feel-uncomfortable-talking-about_1881336.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/eric-holder-7429_dialogue_people-feel-uncomfortable-talking-about_1881336.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/eric-holder-7429_dialogue_people-feel-uncomfortable-talking-about_1881336.jpg) > “People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out of fear that if they express things, they will be characterized in a way that's not fair. I think that there is still a need for a dialogue about things racial that we've not engaged in.” [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes people avoid racial discussions fearing unfair labeling, urging continued dialogue on unmet topics. **In simple terms:** People fear being mischaracterized when discussing race, so dialogue is needed. Key Takeaway Encourage open, fair conversations. Themes race dialogue fear communication Mood concerned hopeful Type social political When to use this quote - community meetings - media interviews - educational forums Key Concepts social justice public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster safe racial dialogue? - What barriers prevent honest conversation? A Different Perspective Dialogue may provoke conflict without safe spaces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dialogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue/) [Engaged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engaged/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Issues Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues-fear-2658607/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Not fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-fair/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial/) [Racial Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-issues-1108355/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-racial-2405736/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Uncomfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncomfortable/) [Uncomfortable Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncomfortable-talking-347995/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [This is the 21st century, and we would all like to think racism is dead in America. Actually, that's not the case: still there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/this-is-the-21st-century-and-we-would-all-like-to-think-racism-is/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [When it comes to racial issues, I'm very passionate about young girls just loving who they are in their own skin. Because I remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-rowland/when-it-comes-to-racial-issues-i-m-very-passionate-about-young-girls/) [Kelly Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-rowland/) > [I hope people listen to black people more. You'd be surprised how little people listen to black people when it comes to racial issues.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/i-hope-people-listen-to-black-people-more-you-d-be-surprised-how/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [If you're a white candidate, it is twice as important for you to be talking about racial inequity and not just describing the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/if-you-re-a-white-candidate-it-is-twice-as-important-for-you-to-be/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/though-race-related-issues-continue-to-occupy-a-significant-portion/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Since Gamergate, many women I know are reluctant to speak publicly on gender issues, because they fear - rightly - that they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-wu/since-gamergate-many-women-i-know-are-reluctant-to-speak-publicly-on/) [Brianna Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-wu/) > [All too often politicians duck issues for fear of the connotations attached to the subject. Leadership, however, means confronting those issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/all-too-often-politicians-duck-issues-for-fear-of-the-connotations/) [Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/) > [It deals with so many different aspects of living in South Africa the racial issues of South Africans and Asians with poverty with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-thielen/it-deals-with-so-many-different-aspects-of-living-in-south-africa-the/) [Laura Thielen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-thielen/) > [We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-rapinoe/we-need-to-have-a-more-thoughtful-two-sided-conversation-about-racial/) [Megan Rapinoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rapinoe/) > [Most poor people in America are white. The family breakdown issue is an issue that crosses all sorts of racial lines. High school dropout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/most-poor-people-in-america-are-white-the-family-breakdown-issue-is/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I'd always been a little bit uncomfortable talking about my sexuality just because it took me a while to fully accept it. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calum-scott/i-d-always-been-a-little-bit-uncomfortable-talking-about-my-sexuality/) [Calum Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calum-scott/) > [ I've never been that uncomfortable talking about it. Things come out \[in the media\] about me. When it's out, it's someone else's version of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/i-ve-never-been-that-uncomfortable-talking-about-it-things-come-out/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [“don’t know about you, but my English isn’t perfect. I hesitate when I’m nervous, I forget precisely the right word every now and again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-lewis/don-t-know-about-you-but-my-english-isn-t-perfect-i-hesitate-when-i-m/) [Benny Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-lewis/) > [People feel really uncomfortable talking about race and identity, largely because the subject is so taboo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franchesca-ramsey/people-feel-really-uncomfortable-talking-about-race-and-identity/) [Franchesca Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franchesca-ramsey/) > [Almost everyone is uncomfortable talking about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-mellan/almost-everyone-is-uncomfortable-talking-about-money/) [Olivia Mellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-mellan/) ## More by Eric Holder > [Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/though-this-nation-has-proudly-thought-of-itself-as-an-ethnic-melting/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [The full resources of the Department of Justice have been committed to the investigation into Michael Brown's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/the-full-resources-of-the-department-of-justice-have-been-committed/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Ferguson and St. Louis County are not the first places that we have become engaged to ensure fair and equitable policing, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/ferguson-and-st-louis-county-are-not-the-first-places-that-we-have/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/some-have-argued-that-the-president-is-required-to-get-permission/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I look forward to working with the NRA to come up with ways in which we can use common sense approaches to reduce the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-look-forward-to-working-with-the-nra-to-come-up-with-ways-in-which/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [This is going to be a very transparent Justice Department. But I'm not gonna sacrifice the safety of the American people or our ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/this-is-going-to-be-a-very-transparent-justice-department-but-i-m-not/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I have loved the Department of Justice ever since, as a young boy, I watched Robert Kennedy prove during the Civil Rights Movement how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-have-loved-the-department-of-justice-ever-since-as-a-young-boy-i/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [You constantly hear about voter fraud... but you don't see huge amounts of vote fraud out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/you-constantly-hear-about-voter-fraud-but-you-don-t-see-huge-amounts/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I'm a 21st-century guy, secure in who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-m-a-21st-century-guy-secure-in-who-i-am/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I'll leave here with my head held high and with confidence that history will judge my time here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-ll-leave-here-with-my-head-held-high-and-with-confidence-that/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [On a personal level, I've seen a lot in my time as attorney general, but few things have affected me as greatly as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/on-a-personal-level-i-ve-seen-a-lot-in-my-time-as-attorney-general/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [It is the thing that keeps me up at night - the notion that you have individuals in the United States who are looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/it-is-the-thing-that-keeps-me-up-at-night-the-notion-that-you-have/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Guantanamo is a chief recruiting tool for al-Qaida. It has put a wedge between the United States and at least some of its allies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/guantanamo-is-a-chief-recruiting-tool-for-al-qaida-it-has-put-a-wedge/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I don't have any intention of resigning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-don-t-have-any-intention-of-resigning/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Michael Brown's tragic death has revealed a deep distrust between some in the Ferguson community and its police force. It also developed a need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/michael-brown-s-tragic-death-has-revealed-a-deep-distrust-between/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) [Explore all 91 Eric Holder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) ## More Dialogue quotes > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [“Clay, if anyone followed anyone, it was me tagging along after you. I didn’t dare order you around.” “Load of shit,” he muttered, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/clay-if-anyone-followed-anyone-it-was-me-tagging-along-after-you-i/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/dialogue-and-education-for-peace-can-help-free-our-hearts-from-the/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [Propaganda begins when dialogue ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/propaganda-begins-when-dialogue-ends/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [ “\[A\]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-possible-i-always-feel-the/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [ I can hardly believe what these 12 caricatures \[about Prophet Muhammad\] have caused in the world. We Danes feel like we have been placed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-can-hardly-believe-what-these-12-caricatures-about-prophet-muhammad/) [Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/) > [“Free Flowing Dialogue “Have you ever been engaged in a conversation which was so dynamic that you were both firing on all cylinders, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/free-flowing-dialogue-have-you-ever-been-engaged-in-a-conversation/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I thought that the world was a vast system of signs, a conversation between giant beings. My actions, the cricket's saw, the star's blink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/i-thought-that-the-world-was-a-vast-system-of-signs-a-conversation/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [As I get older and I get more of this dialogue and I lose more and more brain cells, it really does become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/as-i-get-older-and-i-get-more-of-this-dialogue-and-i-lose-more-and/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [It's true that PC culture has created very little honest dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sho-baraka/it-s-true-that-pc-culture-has-created-very-little-honest-dialogue/) [Sho Baraka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sho-baraka/) [Browse all 1,919 Dialogue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out of fear that if they express things, they will be characterized in a way that's not fair. 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