--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We'll start signing Negroes when the…" description: "\"We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.\" — George Preston Marshall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg" --- # We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters… ![“We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.” quote by George Preston Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg) > “We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.” George Preston Marshall ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement uses a racist analogy to claim that integration would be absurd, reflecting segregationist attitudes. **In simple terms:** Segregationist view on integration. Key Takeaway Reject racist analogies. Themes racism segregation history Mood critical disapproving Type historical ethical When to use this quote - civil rights movement - education - workplace - public policy Key Concepts social justice civil rights equality Questions to Reflect On - Why is this comparison offensive? - How can we challenge such rhetoric? A Different Perspective It perpetuates harmful stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Globetrotters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/globetrotters/) [Harlem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harlem/) ## Related quotes > [You must understand as a kid of color in those days, the Harlem Globetrotters were like being movie stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/you-must-understand-as-a-kid-of-color-in-those-days-the-harlem/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) > [Is sending the Harlem Globetrotters and Dennis Rodman to the DPRK strange? In a word, yes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/is-sending-the-harlem-globetrotters-and-dennis-rodman-to-the-dprk/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If there was a Harlem Globetrotters of rugby league, he’d be in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morris/if-there-was-a-harlem-globetrotters-of-rugby-league-he-d-be-in-it/) Brett Morris > [I was always a funny person. I thought I would play some good ball, and the Harlem Globetrotters would see me, and that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinbad/i-was-always-a-funny-person-i-thought-i-would-play-some-good-ball-and/) [Sinbad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinbad/) > [When I was at UCLA, the Harlem Globetrotters offered me a million dollars to come play for them. I turned it down because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/when-i-was-at-ucla-the-harlem-globetrotters-offered-me-a-million/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“The Negroes in Harlem, who have no money, spend what they have on such gimcracks as they are sold. These include “wider” TV screens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-negroes-in-harlem-who-have-no-money-spend-what-they-have-on-such/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [My fellow Wilmington, North Carolina native Meadowlark Lemon is a true national treasure. I watched him play for the Harlem Globetrotters when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/my-fellow-wilmington-north-carolina-native-meadowlark-lemon-is-a-true/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [When American liberals go to the UK they see the Tories as the Washington Generals, and they see the Labor Party as the Harlem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/when-american-liberals-go-to-the-uk-they-see-the-tories-as-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Several NBA teams got their best gates every season when they scheduled a doubleheader and booked the Globetrotters and their stooges for the opening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/several-nba-teams-got-their-best-gates-every-season-when-they/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [In Globetrotter, David Albahari explores the consciousness of emigres from the former Yugoslavia, Croatia and Serbia, showing that while abroad, many of us are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josip-novakovich/in-globetrotter-david-albahari-explores-the-consciousness-of-emigres/) [Josip Novakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josip-novakovich/) > [I went through various stages in my childhood, as we all do, various stages of obsessions with people and things. And I did. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/i-went-through-various-stages-in-my-childhood-as-we-all-do-various/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [Meadowlark was the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player I've ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/meadowlark-was-the-most-sensational-awesome-incredible-basketball/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) ## More by George Preston Marshall > [The fact that we have in our head coach, Lone Star Dietz, an Indian, together with several Indian players, has not, as may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-preston-marshall/the-fact-that-we-have-in-our-head-coach-lone-star-dietz-an-indian/) George Preston Marshall > [The Bears are front-runners. Quitters. They are not a second-half team, just a bunch of cry-babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-preston-marshall/the-bears-are-front-runners-quitters-they-are-not-a-second-half-team/) George Preston Marshall Explore all 3 George Preston Marshall quotes ## More Globetrotters quotes > [You must understand as a kid of color in those days, the Harlem Globetrotters were like being movie stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/you-must-understand-as-a-kid-of-color-in-those-days-the-harlem/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) > [Meadowlark was the most sensational, awesome, incredible basketball player I've ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilt-chamberlain/meadowlark-was-the-most-sensational-awesome-incredible-basketball/) [Wilt Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilt-chamberlain/) > [Several NBA teams got their best gates every season when they scheduled a doubleheader and booked the Globetrotters and their stooges for the opening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/several-nba-teams-got-their-best-gates-every-season-when-they/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [My fellow Wilmington, North Carolina native Meadowlark Lemon is a true national treasure. I watched him play for the Harlem Globetrotters when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/my-fellow-wilmington-north-carolina-native-meadowlark-lemon-is-a-true/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [When American liberals go to the UK they see the Tories as the Washington Generals, and they see the Labor Party as the Harlem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/when-american-liberals-go-to-the-uk-they-see-the-tories-as-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I was always a funny person. I thought I would play some good ball, and the Harlem Globetrotters would see me, and that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinbad/i-was-always-a-funny-person-i-thought-i-would-play-some-good-ball-and/) [Sinbad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinbad/) > [If there was a Harlem Globetrotters of rugby league, he’d be in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morris/if-there-was-a-harlem-globetrotters-of-rugby-league-he-d-be-in-it/) Brett Morris > [In Globetrotter, David Albahari explores the consciousness of emigres from the former Yugoslavia, Croatia and Serbia, showing that while abroad, many of us are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josip-novakovich/in-globetrotter-david-albahari-explores-the-consciousness-of-emigres/) [Josip Novakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josip-novakovich/) > [I went through various stages in my childhood, as we all do, various stages of obsessions with people and things. And I did. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/i-went-through-various-stages-in-my-childhood-as-we-all-do-various/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [Is sending the Harlem Globetrotters and Dennis Rodman to the DPRK strange? In a word, yes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/is-sending-the-harlem-globetrotters-and-dennis-rodman-to-the-dprk/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [When I was at UCLA, the Harlem Globetrotters offered me a million dollars to come play for them. I turned it down because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/when-i-was-at-ucla-the-harlem-globetrotters-offered-me-a-million/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) [Browse all 12 Globetrotters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/globetrotters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Preston Marshall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-preston-marshall/we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-harlem-globetrotters-start/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Globetrotters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-preston-marshall/we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-harlem-globetrotters-start/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/george-preston-marshall-79903_globetrotters_we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-har_1719417.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.” — George Preston Marshall", "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": "George Preston Marshall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-preston-marshall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We'll start signing Negroes when the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-preston-marshall/we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-harlem-globetrotters-start/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-preston-marshall/we-ll-start-signing-negroes-when-the-harlem-globetrotters-start/#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 } } ] } ```