--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People approach people of color with…" description: "\"People approach people of color with preconceived ideas. I don't think this is just restricted to white people, but I think that lots of black and whit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/hilton-als-7671_artist_people-approach-people-of-color-with-pre_531094.jpg" --- # People approach people of color with preconceived ideas. I… ![“People approach people of color with preconceived ideas. I don't think this is just restricted to white people, but I think that lots of black and white artists, when race is a subject matter, they put race or the ideology around race first. They don't see the person and the complications of the…” quote by Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/hilton-als-7671_artist_people-approach-people-of-color-with-pre_531094.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/hilton-als-7671_artist_people-approach-people-of-color-with-pre_531094.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/hilton-als-7671_artist_people-approach-people-of-color-with-pre_531094.jpg) > “People approach people of color with preconceived ideas. I don't think this is just restricted to white people, but I think that lots of black and white artists, when race is a subject matter, they put race or the ideology around race first. They don't see the person and the complications of the human being.” [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques how race often dominates artistic narratives, obscuring individual complexity and humanity. **In simple terms:** Race can eclipse personal stories in art. Key Takeaway Seek depth beyond racial labels. Themes art race identity Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - film criticism - creative workshops Key Concepts intersectionality representation humanity Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance cultural context with personal nuance? - What risks arise from reducing people to their race? A Different Perspective Focusing on race can overlook other vital perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [We're talking about race. It's ideology, it's a mode of policy. It's a practice. And it intertwines with class in a very specific way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/we-re-talking-about-race-it-s-ideology-it-s-a-mode-of-policy-it-s-a/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [“Interpretation through the filters of ideology has always been one of our race's curses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/interpretation-through-the-filters-of-ideology-has-always-been-one-of/) [Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/) > [Islam is an ideology. It's not a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibrahim-hooper/islam-is-an-ideology-it-s-not-a-race/) [Ibrahim Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibrahim-hooper/) > [Race seems to me to be less and less a subject worth discussing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/race-seems-to-me-to-be-less-and-less-a-subject-worth-discussing/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Race as a subject only comes about because of what I look like. If I say something truthfully, people say "Oh, she's so angry."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-as-a-subject-only-comes-about-because-of-what-i-look-like-if-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Race is a subject about which there are points of agreement, and about which there is no agreement; a subject that is either spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-coleman/race-is-a-subject-about-which-there-are-points-of-agreement-and-about/) [Jonathan Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-coleman/) > [The United States is not a nation of black and white people. Any fool can see that white people are not really white, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-murray/the-united-states-is-not-a-nation-of-black-and-white-people-any-fool/) [Albert Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-murray/) > [The government, for example, has determined that black people (somehow) have fewer abilities than white people, and, so, must be given certain preferences. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-government-for-example-has-determined-that-black-people-somehow/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [When I was saying, 'White people go to hell,' I never had trouble finding a publisher. But when I say, 'Black and white unite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amiri-baraka/when-i-was-saying-white-people-go-to-hell-i-never-had-trouble-finding/) [Amiri Baraka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amiri-baraka/) > [Colonization was the idea that once slavery ended African-Americans should be encouraged - or required, in some people's view - required to leave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/colonization-was-the-idea-that-once-slavery-ended-african-americans/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [I'm sick and tired of black and white people of good intent giving aspirin to a society that is dying of a cancerous disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-abernathy/i-m-sick-and-tired-of-black-and-white-people-of-good-intent-giving/) [Ralph Abernathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-abernathy/) > [Let me speak frankly: separate but equal is a fraud. It is the language that tried to push Rosa Parks to the back of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/let-me-speak-frankly-separate-but-equal-is-a-fraud-it-is-the-language/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [Ive always liked the idea of being a father. And Ive always romanticised it, because I lost my father when I was young. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/ive-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-a-father-and-ive-always/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [frustration, complication and misery are available in abundance, but so is God's grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/frustration-complication-and-misery-are-available-in-abundance-but-so/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) ## More by Hilton Als > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think someone like Khandi Alexander, who's now on 'Treme,' is one of the most extraordinary actresses I've seen in years. But she's dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-someone-like-khandi-alexander-who-s-now-on-treme-is-one-of/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I have not seen 'The Lion King.' I don't do black folklore. And I'm black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-have-not-seen-the-lion-king-i-don-t-do-black-folklore-and-i-m-black/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think you're not really teaching anyone unless you're learning yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-you-re-not-really-teaching-anyone-unless-you-re-learning/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I used to always love taking photos, but I would always give a camera away to someone else. Now I don't give the camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-used-to-always-love-taking-photos-but-i-would-always-give-a-camera/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [If I feel like I haven't really tapped into the essence of the story when I do an assignment, I may revisit it on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/if-i-feel-like-i-haven-t-really-tapped-into-the-essence-of-the-story/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Inspiration takes many forms, but it's rarely pure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/inspiration-takes-many-forms-but-it-s-rarely-pure/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Great sadness can be off putting, hard to comprehend, especially if it hasn't been your experience. It's amazing for me to know now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/great-sadness-can-be-off-putting-hard-to-comprehend-especially-if-it/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I think that Tyler Perry's genius really has been to tap into the domestic market. He knows what his audience is based on, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-think-that-tyler-perry-s-genius-really-has-been-to-tap-into-the/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I love Andre Leon Talley as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-love-andre-leon-talley-as-a-person/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I thought of the structure as musical. The first piece, for instance, contains the names/subject matter of every person to come in the book.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-thought-of-the-structure-as-musical-the-first-piece-for-instance/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [People have a copyright on their own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/people-have-a-copyright-on-their-own-life/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [People are quick to make monuments of anything they live long enough to control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/people-are-quick-to-make-monuments-of-anything-they-live-long-enough/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [Racism seduces us with its desire to categorize, shutting out the living and breathing and 'different' world all around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/racism-seduces-us-with-its-desire-to-categorize-shutting-out-the/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [I was so well loved by my mother that if people have any expectations of me I really don't notice because I'm hardest on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/i-was-so-well-loved-by-my-mother-that-if-people-have-any-expectations/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) [Explore all 88 Hilton Als quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [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/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People approach people of color with preconceived ideas. I don't think this is just restricted to white people, but I think that lots of black and white artists, when race is a subject matter, they put race or the ideology around race first. 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