--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is only as they are free, educated…" description: "\"“It is only as they are free, educated, enlightened, that they become a nuisance,”\" — Ibram X. Kendi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg" --- # It is only as they are free, educated, enlightened, that… ![“It is only as they are free, educated, enlightened, that they become a nuisance,” quote by Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg) > ““It is only as they are free, educated, enlightened, that they become a nuisance,”” [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People become problematic only when they are empowered with knowledge and freedom that challenge the status quo. **In simple terms:** Freedom and education can make people disruptive to oppression. Key Takeaway Recognize how education can threaten entrenched power. Themes social justice education power dynamics Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - community organizing Key Concepts antiracism critical consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How does education change power structures? - What responsibilities come with freedom? A Different Perspective Empowered voices may be met with resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Educated Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated-enlightened-3073824/) [Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) [Enlightened Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened-nuisance-3073823/) [Free Educated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-educated-2792013/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance/) ## Related quotes > [An educated, enlightened & informed population is one of the surest ways of promoting the health of a democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/an-educated-enlightened-informed-population-is-one-of-the-surest-ways/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“What is the fruit of these teachings? Only the most beautiful and proper harvest of the truly educated—tranquility, fearlessness, and freedom. We should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/what-is-the-fruit-of-these-teachings-only-the-most-beautiful-and/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [As a child there was no place for adventure or experimentation. I guess that kind of freedom started in high school with punk rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcnairy/as-a-child-there-was-no-place-for-adventure-or-experimentation-i/) [Mark McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcnairy/) > [Babies are a nuisance, of course. But so does everything seem to be that is worth while – husbands and books and committees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/babies-are-a-nuisance-of-course-but-so-does-everything-seem-to-be/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [A human being must have occupation, of he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/a-human-being-must-have-occupation-of-he-or-she-is-not-to-become-a/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Nest of Soviet fellow travelers clacking busybodies in a Soviet jellyfish front, sitting here in Leesburg oozing out their funny little propaganda and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-larouche/nest-of-soviet-fellow-travelers-clacking-busybodies-in-a-soviet/) [Lyndon LaRouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-larouche/) > [There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-unsurpassed-he-showed-unlimited/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Because of these new car models there is suddenly on the streets of Delhi a new intolerance by the motorists for both the cows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/because-of-these-new-car-models-there-is-suddenly-on-the-streets-of/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [Of all the unbearable nuisances, the ignoramus that has traveled is the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/of-all-the-unbearable-nuisances-the-ignoramus-that-has-traveled-is/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [You can be a nuisance to your family. You mustn't be a nuisance to your friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumer-godden/you-can-be-a-nuisance-to-your-family-you-mustn-t-be-a-nuisance-to/) [Rumer Godden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumer-godden/) > [It may easily come to pass that a vain man may become proud and imagine himself pleasing to all when he is in reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-may-easily-come-to-pass-that-a-vain-man-may-become-proud-and/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [This was life! Ah, how he loved it! Civilization held nothing like this in its narrow and circumscribed sphere, hemmed in by restrictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/this-was-life-ah-how-he-loved-it-civilization-held-nothing-like-this/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [“seperate morality from its effects, and you will see that everyone regards ias a nuisance, an annoying brake on their freedom of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-blackburn/seperate-morality-from-its-effects-and-you-will-see-that-everyone/) [Simon Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-blackburn/) > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More by Ibram X. Kendi > [“When men oppress their fellowmen, the oppressor ever finds, in the character of the oppressed, a full justification for his oppression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/when-men-oppress-their-fellowmen-the-oppressor-ever-finds-in-the/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“assimilationists constantly encourage Black adoption of White cultural traits and/or physical ideals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/assimilationists-constantly-encourage-black-adoption-of-white/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“Enlightenment ideas gave legitimacy to this long-held racist “partiality,” the connection between lightness and Whiteness and reason, on the one hand, and between darkness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/enlightenment-ideas-gave-legitimacy-to-this-long-held-racist/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“Hate and ignorance have not driven the history of racist ideas in America. Racist policies have driven the history of racist ideas in America.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/hate-and-ignorance-have-not-driven-the-history-of-racist-ideas-in/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“From the beginning, it has been a three-sided battle, a battle of antiracist ideas being pitted against two kinds of racist ideas at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/from-the-beginning-it-has-been-a-three-sided-battle-a-battle-of/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“newspaper reports of rape constructed white defendants as individual offenders and black defendants as representative of the failings of their racial group,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/newspaper-reports-of-rape-constructed-white-defendants-as-individual/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“Racist intentions—not policies—became covert after the 1960s.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/racist-intentions-not-policies-became-covert-after-the-1960s/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“Donald Trump’s economic policies are geared toward enriching White male power—but at the expense of most of his White male followers, along with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/donald-trump-s-economic-policies-are-geared-toward-enriching-white/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“individualizing White negativity and generalizing Black negativity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/individualizing-white-negativity-and-generalizing-black-negativity/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“Racially discriminatory policies have usually sprung from economic, political, and cultural self-interests, self-interests that are constantly changing. Politicians seeking higher office have primarily created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/racially-discriminatory-policies-have-usually-sprung-from-economic/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“The vicious housing cycle had already begun. Racist policies harmed Black neighborhoods, generating racist ideas that caused people not to want to live next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/the-vicious-housing-cycle-had-already-begun-racist-policies-harmed/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“For Jefferson, power came before freedom. Indeed, power creates freedom, not the other way around—as the powerless are taught.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/for-jefferson-power-came-before-freedom-indeed-power-creates-freedom/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“To justify Black enslavement, Barbados planters actually “preferred” the polygenesis theory over the curse theory of Ham,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/to-justify-black-enslavement-barbados-planters-actually-preferred-the/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“With this law in place, White enslavers could now reap financial reward from relations “upon a negro woman.” But they wanted to prevent the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/with-this-law-in-place-white-enslavers-could-now-reap-financial/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“Our education has filled us with strong prejudices against them,” Hopkins professed, “and led us to consider them, not as our brethren, or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/our-education-has-filled-us-with-strong-prejudices-against-them/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) [Explore all 140 Ibram X. Kendi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) ## More Enlightened quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Now the stage today is to know that Self Realization gives you experiences and then your faith is established. Not blind but open enlightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/now-the-stage-today-is-to-know-that-self-realization-gives-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [ “Through the grace of a thief, one can become a thief and through the grace of a Gnani \[the enlightened one\], one can become… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/through-the-grace-of-a-thief-one-can-become-a-thief-and-through-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [I think enlightenment is something that you decide to do after you have met someone who is enlightened. Something touches your heart, your being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-enlightenment-is-something-that-you-decide-to-do-after-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The more that the human mind is enlightened, the more desirous it becomes of farther acquisitions in knowledge. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-stewart/the-more-that-the-human-mind-is-enlightened-the-more-desirous-it/) [Alexander Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-stewart/) > [The enlightened attention rejects nothing nor welcomes anything-like a mirror it responds equally to all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-enlightened-attention-rejects-nothing-nor-welcomes-anything-like/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [For I did not know that the soul needs to be enlightened by light from outside itself, so that it can participate in truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/for-i-did-not-know-that-the-soul-needs-to-be-enlightened-by-light/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [As a child there was no place for adventure or experimentation. I guess that kind of freedom started in high school with punk rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcnairy/as-a-child-there-was-no-place-for-adventure-or-experimentation-i/) [Mark McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcnairy/) > [In dealing with those who share his bed, the enlightened ruler may enjoy their beauty but should not listen to their special pleas...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-fei/in-dealing-with-those-who-share-his-bed-the-enlightened-ruler-may/) [Han Fei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-fei/) > [“Even when you have been somewhat enlightened by what you have read, you are called upon to continue the serach for significance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/even-when-you-have-been-somewhat-enlightened-by-what-you-have-read/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [I want to engage people in an honest, enlightened, and provocative conversation about the nature of erotic desire and the intricacies of intimacy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/i-want-to-engage-people-in-an-honest-enlightened-and-provocative/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) [Browse all 1,151 Enlightened quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is only as they are free, educated, enlightened, that they become a nuisance,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ibram X. Kendi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enlightened-that-they-become-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enlightened" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enlightened-that-they-become-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f97/ibram-x-kendi-3080_freedom_it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enl_1126562.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is only as they are free, educated, enlightened, that they become a nuisance,” — Ibram X. Kendi", "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": "Ibram X. Kendi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is only as they are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enlightened-that-they-become-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/it-is-only-as-they-are-free-educated-enlightened-that-they-become-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 } } ] } ```