--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know the truth, and the truth is…" description: "\"“You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or whit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/harper-lee-451_black-or-white_you-know-the-truth-and-the-truth-is-this_1877611.jpg" --- # You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes… ![“You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.” quote by Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/harper-lee-451_black-or-white_you-know-the-truth-and-the-truth-is-this_1877611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/harper-lee-451_black-or-white_you-know-the-truth-and-the-truth-is-this_1877611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/harper-lee-451_black-or-white_you-know-the-truth-and-the-truth-is-this_1877611.jpg) > ““You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.”” [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He claims a universal truth about distrust and immorality across races, but frames it as a racial observation, revealing bias. **In simple terms:** He suggests all people can be untrustworthy, yet expresses it in a racially charged way. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge stereotypes in language. Themes race trust morality bias literature Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analysis ethical When to use this quote - social commentary - teaching ethics - literary analysis Key Concepts stereotype universal claim racial prejudice Questions to Reflect On - How does framing bias as universal affect readers? - What responsibilities do authors have when discussing race? A Different Perspective The statement perpetuates harmful generalizations despite its claim of universality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black or white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-or-white/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Immoral Negro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immoral-negro-550916/) [Lie Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-negroes-2631751/) [Negroes Immoral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes-immoral-2631750/) [Negroes Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes-lie-550914/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-negroes-2631749/) ## Related quotes > [“The witnesses for the state, with the exception of the sheriff of Maycomb County, have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee-to-kill-a-mockingbird/the-witnesses-for-the-state-with-the-exception-of-the-sheriff-of/) [Harper Lee To Kill A Mockingbird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee-to-kill-a-mockingbird/) > [Some negroes lie, some are immoral, some negro men are not be trusted around women - black and white. But this is a truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/some-negroes-lie-some-are-immoral-some-negro-men-are-not-be-trusted/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [No female - young, old, black or white - could ever play the knight-on-charger with meager experience. If she presented herself as the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/froma-harrop/no-female-young-old-black-or-white-could-ever-play-the-knight-on/) [Froma Harrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/froma-harrop/) > [It aint about black or white, coz we all human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2pac/it-aint-about-black-or-white-coz-we-all-human/) [2pac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2pac/) > [“This world is like a rainbow or flower garden. Each nation donate different colors . Tribe, religion, race, language, traditions and different cultures,etc. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andry-lavigne/this-world-is-like-a-rainbow-or-flower-garden-each-nation-donate/) [Andry lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andry-lavigne/) > [“Bloody stars, if this was what it was going to be like having both halves of herself merged into one, she wasn't so certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kady-cross/bloody-stars-if-this-was-what-it-was-going-to-be-like-having-both/) [Kady Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kady-cross/) > [As blacks, we need not be afraid that encouraging moraldevelopment, a conscience and guilt will prevent social action. Black children without the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-comer-2/as-blacks-we-need-not-be-afraid-that-encouraging-moraldevelopment-a/) [James P Comer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-comer-2/) > [Perhaps we should worry less about judging people for being Mormon or Baptist or Muslim or gay or straight or black or white or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/perhaps-we-should-worry-less-about-judging-people-for-being-mormon-or/) [Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/) > [“It's easy to say you will do what's right and shun what's wrong, but when you get close enough to any given situation, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-easy-to-say-you-will-do-what-s-right-and-shun-what-s-wrong-but/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Everybody has a little bit of the sun and moon in them. Everybody has a little bit of man, woman, and animal in them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/everybody-has-a-little-bit-of-the-sun-and-moon-in-them-everybody-has/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [I don't think of people as out-and-out black or white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabu/i-don-t-think-of-people-as-out-and-out-black-or-white/) [Tabu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabu/) > [So many assume the truth is either black or white... It's all evolution or it's totally creation, for example. Reality creates consciousness; consciousness creates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shepherd/so-many-assume-the-truth-is-either-black-or-white-it-s-all-evolution/) [Peter Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shepherd/) > [Raves when it was safe to be free & wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! Not scared to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/progrezza/raves-when-it-was-safe-to-be-free-wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you/) [Progrezza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/progrezza/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) ## More by Harper Lee > [“No jury in this part of the world's going to say, "We think you're guilty, but not very," on a charge like that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/no-jury-in-this-part-of-the-world-s-going-to-say-we-think-you-re/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/that-proves-something-that-a-gang-of-wild-animals-can-be-stopped/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wanted-you-to-see-something-about-her-i-wanted-you-to-see-what-real/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/any-writer-worth-his-salt-writes-to-please-himself-it-s-a-self/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/folks-don-t-like-to-have-somebody-around-knowin-more-than-they-do-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [ “...\[Summer\] was a thousand colors in a parched landscape...” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/summer-was-a-thousand-colors-in-a-parched-landscape/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [It’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/it-s-never-an-insult-to-be-called-what-somebody-thinks-is-a-bad-name/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I wonder how much of the day I spend just callin' after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wonder-how-much-of-the-day-i-spend-just-callin-after-you/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Writing is something you'll never learn in any university or at any school. It's something that is within you, and if it isn't there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/writing-is-something-you-ll-never-learn-in-any-university-or-at-any/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/to-begin-with-this-case-should-never-have-come-to-trial-the-state-has/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Naw, Jem. I think that there is just one kind of folks. Folks." Jen turned and punched his pillow. WHen he settle back his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/naw-jem-i-think-that-there-is-just-one-kind-of-folks-folks-jen-turned/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The course of English Literature would have been decidedly different had Mr. Wordsworth owned a power mower.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-course-of-english-literature-would-have-been-decidedly-different/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The gum looked fresh. I sniffed it and it smelled all right. I licked it and waited for a while. When I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-gum-looked-fresh-i-sniffed-it-and-it-smelled-all-right-i-licked/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I just thought you'd like to know I can read. You got anything needs readin' I can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-just-thought-you-d-like-to-know-i-can-read-you-got-anything-needs/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) [Explore all 494 Harper Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## More Black or white quotes > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Raves when it was safe to be free & wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! Not scared to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/progrezza/raves-when-it-was-safe-to-be-free-wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you/) [Progrezza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/progrezza/) > [So many assume the truth is either black or white... It's all evolution or it's totally creation, for example. Reality creates consciousness; consciousness creates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shepherd/so-many-assume-the-truth-is-either-black-or-white-it-s-all-evolution/) [Peter Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shepherd/) > [I don't think of people as out-and-out black or white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabu/i-don-t-think-of-people-as-out-and-out-black-or-white/) [Tabu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabu/) > [Everybody has a little bit of the sun and moon in them. Everybody has a little bit of man, woman, and animal in them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/everybody-has-a-little-bit-of-the-sun-and-moon-in-them-everybody-has/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“It's easy to say you will do what's right and shun what's wrong, but when you get close enough to any given situation, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-easy-to-say-you-will-do-what-s-right-and-shun-what-s-wrong-but/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Perhaps we should worry less about judging people for being Mormon or Baptist or Muslim or gay or straight or black or white or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/perhaps-we-should-worry-less-about-judging-people-for-being-mormon-or/) [Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/) > [As blacks, we need not be afraid that encouraging moraldevelopment, a conscience and guilt will prevent social action. Black children without the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-comer-2/as-blacks-we-need-not-be-afraid-that-encouraging-moraldevelopment-a/) [James P Comer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-comer-2/) > [“Bloody stars, if this was what it was going to be like having both halves of herself merged into one, she wasn't so certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kady-cross/bloody-stars-if-this-was-what-it-was-going-to-be-like-having-both/) [Kady Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kady-cross/) > [“This world is like a rainbow or flower garden. Each nation donate different colors . Tribe, religion, race, language, traditions and different cultures,etc. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andry-lavigne/this-world-is-like-a-rainbow-or-flower-garden-each-nation-donate/) [Andry lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andry-lavigne/) > [It aint about black or white, coz we all human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2pac/it-aint-about-black-or-white-coz-we-all-human/) [2pac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2pac/) > [No female - young, old, black or white - could ever play the knight-on-charger with meager experience. If she presented herself as the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/froma-harrop/no-female-young-old-black-or-white-could-ever-play-the-knight-on/) [Froma Harrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/froma-harrop/) > [There was no black or white. Someone who had been good her entire life could, in fact, do something evil. People were just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/there-was-no-black-or-white-someone-who-had-been-good-her-entire-life/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [In the music industry it's just you're either Black or white, and this is the box you get put in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie-2/in-the-music-industry-it-s-just-you-re-either-black-or-white-and-this/) [India.Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie-2/) [Browse all 246 Black or white quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-or-white/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. 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