---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Show me a population that is deeply…"
description: "\"“Show me a population that is deeply religious, and I will show you a servile population, content with whips and chains, contumely and the gibbet, cont..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg"
---

#  Show me a population that is deeply religious, and I will…

![“Show me a population that is deeply religious, and I will show you a servile population, content with whips and chains, contumely and the gibbet, content to eat the bread of sorrow and drink the waters of affliction. The present condition of the Negroes of America is a touching bit of testimony to…” quote by Hubert H. Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg)

> ““Show me a population that is deeply religious, and I will show you a servile population, content with whips and chains, contumely and the gibbet, content to eat the bread of sorrow and drink the waters of affliction. The present condition of the Negroes of America is a touching bit of testimony to the truth of this assertion. Here in America the spirit of the Negro has been transformed by three centuries of subjection, physical and mental, so that they have even glorified the fact of subjection and subservience.””

[Hubert H. Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-harrison/)

## About This Quote

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

He argues that deep religiosity can foster servility, using vivid metaphors of oppression.

**In simple terms:** Religion may breed subservience under oppression.

Key Takeaway

Critically examine how belief systems affect freedom.

Themes

religion oppression servility historical trauma racial injustice

Mood

somber reflective

Type

critical historical

When to use this quote

- civil rights activism
- education
- community dialogue

Key Concepts

power dynamics colonialism psychological impact

Questions to Reflect On

- How does faith empower versus restrain?
- What historical factors shape this view?

A Different Perspective

Oversimplifies complex cultural experiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Condition Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condition-negroes-3137399/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Negro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negro/) [Negro Transformed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negro-transformed-5968697/) [Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes/) [Negroes America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes-america-836074/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Whips and chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whips-and-chains/)

## Related quotes

> [I do not share the gloomy thought that Negroes in America are doomed to be stomped out bodaciously, nor even shackled to the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/i-do-not-share-the-gloomy-thought-that-negroes-in-america-are-doomed/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [At this point I hadn't yet gotten deep into the historic condition that negroes in this country are confronted with, but at that point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/at-this-point-i-hadn-t-yet-gotten-deep-into-the-historic-condition/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [To have built up a new organization, which was not purely political, among Negroes in America was a wonderful feat, for the Negro politician…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/to-have-built-up-a-new-organization-which-was-not-purely-political/)

[Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/)

> [The Negroes of America had taken the President, the press and the pulpit at their word when they spoke in broad terms of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negroes-of-america-had-taken-the-president-the-press-and-the/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-negro-race-like-all-races-is-going-to-be-saved-by-its-exceptional/)

[W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/)

> [It is only the Negro leadership, the bourgeois, hand-picked, handful of Negroes who think that they're going to get some kind of respect, recognition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/it-is-only-the-negro-leadership-the-bourgeois-hand-picked-handful-of/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [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/)

> [“It was awful to be Negro and have no control over my life. It was brutal to be young and already trained to sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/it-was-awful-to-be-negro-and-have-no-control-over-my-life-it-was-2/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [The Negro is the child of two cultures - Africa and America. The problem is that in the search for wholeness all too many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-is-the-child-of-two-cultures-africa-and-america-the-problem/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [A Negro just can't be whipped by somebody white and return with his head up in the neighborhood, especially in those days, when sports…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/a-negro-just-can-t-be-whipped-by-somebody-white-and-return-with-his/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [NEGRO :; Member of a subgroup of the human race who hails, or whose ancestors hailed, from a chunk of land nicknamed not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/negro-member-of-a-subgroup-of-the-human-race-who-hails-or-whose/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [Love is inherently free. It cannot be bought, sold, or traded. Love is a force of nature. However much we may want to, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-inherently-free-it-cannot-be-bought-sold-or-traded-love-is-a/)

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

> [“You ladies ought to know-going commando? That’s sexier than leather and lace and whips and chains all put together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/you-ladies-ought-to-know-going-commando-that-s-sexier-than-leather/)

[Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/)

> [Whips and chains, handcuffs, smack a little body up with my belt. Scream, help play my game, dracula man, I'll get my fangs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludacris/whips-and-chains-handcuffs-smack-a-little-body-up-with-my-belt-scream/)

[Ludacris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludacris/)

> [Give any orthodox church the power, and to-day they would punish heresy with whip, and chain, and fire. As long as a church deems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/give-any-orthodox-church-the-power-and-to-day-they-would-punish/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

## More Happiness quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

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

> [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/)

[Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/)

> [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/)

[MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/)

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/)

[Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/)

[Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/)

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

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/)

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

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

[Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/)

[Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Show me a population that is deeply religious, and I will show you a servile population, content with whips and chains, contumely and the gibbet, content to eat the bread of sorrow and drink the waters of affliction. The present condition of the Negroes of America is a touching bit of testimony to the truth of this assertion. Here in America the spirit of the Negro has been transformed by three centuries of subjection, physical and mental, so that they have even glorified the fact of subjection and subservience.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hubert H. Harrison"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-harrison/show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-religious-and-i-will-show-you-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Happiness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-harrison/show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-religious-and-i-will-show-you-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f5/hubert-h-harrison-171397_happiness_show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-reli_772661.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Show me a population that is deeply religious, and I will show you a servile population, content with whips…” — Hubert H. Harrison",
                "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": "Hubert H. Harrison",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-harrison/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Show me a population that is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-harrison/show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-religious-and-i-will-show-you-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-harrison/show-me-a-population-that-is-deeply-religious-and-i-will-show-you-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
