---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order to get beyond racism, we must…"
description: "\"In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg"
---

#  In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account…

![“In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.” quote by Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg)

> “In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.”

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

To achieve racial equality, we must first acknowledge race and treat individuals differently to ensure true fairness.

**In simple terms:** Equality requires recognizing race and applying tailored treatment.

Key Takeaway

Address race directly to foster genuine equality.

Themes

racial justice equality law social policy

Mood

cautious inquisitive

Type

legal philosophical

When to use this quote

- court rulings
- policy making
- education reform

Key Concepts

affirmative action legal theory social equity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance race-conscious policies with unity?
- What safeguards prevent reverse discrimination?

A Different Perspective

The approach may risk reinforcing racial divisions if not carefully applied.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/)

## Related quotes

> [This is a lesson mankind has not yet learned. We identify, and stratify, and treat persons largely on the basis of their accidental (physical)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/this-is-a-lesson-mankind-has-not-yet-learned-we-identify-and-stratify/)

[Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/)

> [Treat persons who profess to be able to cure disease as you treat fortune tellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/treat-persons-who-profess-to-be-able-to-cure-disease-as-you-treat/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [I'm like, 'John, people treat me differently because they just look at me as a girlfriend,' and unfortunately, that's our world. Now all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-bella/i-m-like-john-people-treat-me-differently-because-they-just-look-at/)

[Nikki Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-bella/)

> [I find it amazing how some people canà change and treat you differently. One day, you mean something in their livesà and the next,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naz/i-find-it-amazing-how-some-people-can-change-and-treat-you/)

[Naz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naz/)

> [I don't like age barriers. I don't like when people treat you differently when they find out how old you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-mendes/i-don-t-like-age-barriers-i-don-t-like-when-people-treat-you/)

[Shawn Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-mendes/)

> [Fox doesn't treat me any differently, and that's one thing I'm very lucky with - my network treats me like a woman, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-andrews/fox-doesn-t-treat-me-any-differently-and-that-s-one-thing-i-m-very/)

[Erin Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-andrews/)

> [Every film is like my own kid; I don't treat them differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-antony/every-film-is-like-my-own-kid-i-don-t-treat-them-differently/)

[Vijay Antony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-antony/)

> [Around here, though, people don't treat me any differently. That's to be expected. I don't mind at all, being in the shadow of three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lewis/around-here-though-people-don-t-treat-me-any-differently-that-s-to-be/)

[Reggie Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lewis/)

> [Don't Treat Me Any Differently than You Would the Queen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-treat-me-any-differently-than-you-would-the-queen/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why do we treat each other so differently in the end we all bleed red.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-do-we-treat-each-other-so-differently-in-the-end-we-all-bleed-red/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Don't treat her differently when you're with your friends. You should always treat her like you LOVE her, not just when you're alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annonymous/don-t-treat-her-differently-when-you-re-with-your-friends-you-should/)

Annonymous

> [When you've got big sky, big places and less people, people act differently and treat each other differently. It's tangible. It's not just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-taylor/when-you-ve-got-big-sky-big-places-and-less-people-people-act/)

[Robert Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-taylor/)

> [A LOT OF PEOPLE DONT REVEAL THEIR TRUTH BECAUSE THEY FEEL YOU WILL TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/a-lot-of-people-dont-reveal-their-truth-because-they-feel-you-will/)

[LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/)

> [I remember during Oscar season, the thing I hated most was being talked to differently; people treat you differently. And then I suddenly understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/i-remember-during-oscar-season-the-thing-i-hated-most-was-being/)

[Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/)

> [“It is only when you understand that God is in everyone that you can appreciate and treat them differently”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/it-is-only-when-you-understand-that-god-is-in-everyone-that-you-can/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

## More by Harry A. Blackmun

> [If there is any truth to the old proverb that "one who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client," the Court…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/if-there-is-any-truth-to-the-old-proverb-that-one-who-is-his-own/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [The states are not free, under the guise of protecting maternal health or potential life, to intimidate women into continuing pregnancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/the-states-are-not-free-under-the-guise-of-protecting-maternal-health/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [The death penalty experiment has failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/the-death-penalty-experiment-has-failed/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [ The mandated description of fetal characteristics at two-week intervals, no matter how objective, is plainly overinclusive. \[It is\] not medical information that is always… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/the-mandated-description-of-fetal-characteristics-at-two-week/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [I hope you will be yourself, human, even a little sentimental, possessed of a sense of humor and a sense of humility. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/i-hope-you-will-be-yourself-human-even-a-little-sentimental-possessed/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [This Court repeatedly has recognized that the whole subject of the domestic relations of husband and wife belongs to the laws of the States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/this-court-repeatedly-has-recognized-that-the-whole-subject-of-the/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [We're all eccentrics. We're nine prima donnas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/we-re-all-eccentrics-we-re-nine-prima-donnas/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [By placing discretion in the hands of an official to grant or deny a license, such a statute creates a threat of censorship that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/by-placing-discretion-in-the-hands-of-an-official-to-grant-or-deny-a/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [From this day forward, I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/from-this-day-forward-i-no-longer-shall-tinker-with-the-machinery-of/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/i-no-longer-shall-tinker-with-the-machinery-of-death/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [Of one thing, however, I am certain. Just as an execution without adequate safeguards is unacceptable, so too is an execution when the condemned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/of-one-thing-however-i-am-certain-just-as-an-execution-without/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [Disapproval of homosexuality cannot justify invading the houses, hearts and minds of citizens who choose to live their lives differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/disapproval-of-homosexuality-cannot-justify-invading-the-houses/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [Abortion raises moral and spiritual questions over which honorable persons can disagree sincerely and profoundly. But those disagreements did not then and do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/abortion-raises-moral-and-spiritual-questions-over-which-honorable/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [From this day forward, I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death. ... I fell morally and intellectually obligated simply to concede…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/from-this-day-forward-i-no-longer-shall-tinker-with-the-machinery-of-2/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

> [What the Court really has refused to recognize is the fundamental interest all individuals have in controlling the nature of their intimate associations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/what-the-court-really-has-refused-to-recognize-is-the-fundamental/)

[Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

[Explore all 32 Harry A. Blackmun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/)

## More Accounts quotes

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-roman-waugh/i-had-a-very-blessed-journey-with-the-upbringing-i-had-when-you-re/)

[Ric Roman Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-roman-waugh/)

> [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/)

[Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/)

> [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/)

[Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/)

> [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/)

[Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/)

> [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/)

[Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/)

Browse all 2,677 Accounts quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Harry A. Blackmun"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-first-take-account-of-race/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accounts"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-first-take-account-of-race/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d83/harry-a-blackmun-19399_accounts_in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-fi_1256312.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to…” — Harry A. Blackmun",
                "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": "Harry A. Blackmun",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In order to get beyond racism,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-first-take-account-of-race/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/in-order-to-get-beyond-racism-we-must-first-take-account-of-race/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
