--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were so few black men who were…" description: "\"There were so few black men who were successful and who successfully conveyed black male fear - how America can make you feel crazy, and how America ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/hilton-als-7671_america_there-were-so-few-black-men-who-were-suc_1954530.jpg" --- # There were so few black men who were successful and who… ![“There were so few black men who were successful and who successfully conveyed black male fear - how America can make you feel crazy, and how America can create interesting levels of contradiction.” quote by Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/hilton-als-7671_america_there-were-so-few-black-men-who-were-suc_1954530.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/hilton-als-7671_america_there-were-so-few-black-men-who-were-suc_1954530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/hilton-als-7671_america_there-were-so-few-black-men-who-were-suc_1954530.jpg) > “There were so few black men who were successful and who successfully conveyed black male fear - how America can make you feel crazy, and how America can create interesting levels of contradiction.” [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. The quote highlights the rarity of successful Black men who openly express the fear and contradictions imposed by American society. **In simple terms:** Successful Black men rarely voice fear and societal contradictions. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and discuss systemic pressures on Black men. Themes identity race success contradiction mental health Mood reflective critical empathetic Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - media representation - mental health advocacy - educational curricula - community dialogues - policy reform Key Concepts intersectionality systemic racism psychological impact Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape success narratives? - What contradictions does America impose on Black male identity? A Different Perspective The quote may overlook the diverse experiences of Black men beyond fear and contradiction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Male](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-male/) [Black males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-males/) [Black Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-men-275532/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-america-1364137/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Male Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/male-fear-1700013/) [Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/males/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-successful-1137153/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) ## Related quotes > [“Several researchers have found that the pressures that Black men and boys experience exact a toll on their (our)1 psychological and emotional well-being. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-a-noguera/several-researchers-have-found-that-the-pressures-that-black-men-and/) [Pedro A. Noguera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-a-noguera/) > [I don't think that an emphasis on the peculiar plight of black males at all suggests that others are not suffering, or that such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-don-t-think-that-an-emphasis-on-the-peculiar-plight-of-black-males/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“Patriarchal hip-hop ushered in a world where black males could declare that they were “keeping it real” when what they were really doing was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/patriarchal-hip-hop-ushered-in-a-world-where-black-males-could/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“As industrial jobs began disappearing from cities, many black men found themselves back in positions of economic helplessness, without the kinds of jobs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-burrell/as-industrial-jobs-began-disappearing-from-cities-many-black-men/) [Tom Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-burrell/) > [The street is as diverse as any other sector, but in peoples' mind it gets appropriated as a black man who's tough. 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This view isn't popular with problem profiteers who”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rev-jesse-lee-peterson/i-can-say-with-confidence-that-many-black-males-are-both-lazy-and/) [Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rev-jesse-lee-peterson/) > [I see many black males grasping for some thread of hope. There are so many destructive practices, glimpses into a psychic abyss. That must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusef-komunyakaa/i-see-many-black-males-grasping-for-some-thread-of-hope-there-are-so/) [Yusef Komunyakaa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusef-komunyakaa/) > [It is extremely interesting to me that black males, and other black folk, are viewed as self-pitying, by either other blacks who have failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/it-is-extremely-interesting-to-me-that-black-males-and-other-black/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [The cops drive by to do some more good deeds A young black male spits a sunflower seed in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dred-scott/the-cops-drive-by-to-do-some-more-good-deeds-a-young-black-male-spits/) [Dred Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dred-scott/) > [The Bureau of Justice reports that one in three black male babies born this century will go to jail or prison - that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/the-bureau-of-justice-reports-that-one-in-three-black-male-babies/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [I think that one of the hardest things in the world to be is a black male. I mean everyone hates your guts. White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-think-that-one-of-the-hardest-things-in-the-world-to-be-is-a-black/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## 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 America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? 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