--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After two years at UCLA, I decided to…" description: "\"After two years at UCLA, I decided to leave. I was convinced that no amount of education would help a black man get a job.\" — Jackie Robinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/jackie-robinson-10820_education_after-two-years-at-ucla-i-decided-to-lea_240780.jpg" --- # After two years at UCLA, I decided to leave. I was… ![“After two years at UCLA, I decided to leave. I was convinced that no amount of education would help a black man get a job.” quote by Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/jackie-robinson-10820_education_after-two-years-at-ucla-i-decided-to-lea_240780.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/jackie-robinson-10820_education_after-two-years-at-ucla-i-decided-to-lea_240780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e75/jackie-robinson-10820_education_after-two-years-at-ucla-i-decided-to-lea_240780.jpg) > “After two years at UCLA, I decided to leave. I was convinced that no amount of education would help a black man get a job.” [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education alone cannot guarantee employment for marginalized groups **In simple terms:** Education may not secure jobs for black men Key Takeaway Advocate for systemic change beyond education Themes racism employment systemic inequality Mood determined reflective Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - policy reform - community mentorship - job training programs Key Concepts social justice economic opportunity activism Questions to Reflect On - What systemic barriers persist despite education? - How can communities create equitable job opportunities? A Different Perspective May understate the value of education as a tool for empowerment ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) ## Related quotes > [“You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I'm not studying something I feel might be able to help the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-will-never-catch-me-with-a-free-fifteen-minutes-in-which-i-m-not/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Over the last three years, UCLA has helped me grow as an athlete, a scholar, and a member of the community. I have made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-rosen/over-the-last-three-years-ucla-has-helped-me-grow-as-an-athlete-a/) [Josh Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-rosen/) > [When I go in to see people - and I sell an occasional ad now - I never say, 'Help me because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-johnson/when-i-go-in-to-see-people-and-i-sell-an-occasional-ad-now-i-never/) [John H. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-johnson/) > [I am a firm believer in education and have worked very hard to tell young Latinos that they must go to college and that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/i-am-a-firm-believer-in-education-and-have-worked-very-hard-to-tell-2/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [The establishment has learned how to co-opt identity politics to put the brakes on economic progress and justice. So I would say if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-dore/the-establishment-has-learned-how-to-co-opt-identity-politics-to-put/) [Jimmy Dore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-dore/) > [I am a firm believer in education and have worked very hard to tell young Latinos that they must go to college and that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/i-am-a-firm-believer-in-education-and-have-worked-very-hard-to-tell/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [The older I grow, the more I am convinced that there is no education which one can get from books and costly apparatus that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/the-older-i-grow-the-more-i-am-convinced-that-there-is-no-education/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [I know that I am a black man in a white world. . . I know that I never had it made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/i-know-that-i-am-a-black-man-in-a-white-world-i-know-that-i-never-had/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [I'm very disappointed in Barack Obama. I was very much in support of him in the beginning, but I cannot support war. I cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-m-very-disappointed-in-barack-obama-i-was-very-much-in-support-of/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Look at me--a big old black man under all of this makeup, and if I can look beautiful, so can you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/look-at-me-a-big-old-black-man-under-all-of-this-makeup-and-if-i-can/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [Im happy to be black. I am what I am, Im doing very well in my life, and Im thankful to God for that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/im-happy-to-be-black-i-am-what-i-am-im-doing-very-well-in-my-life-and/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, I'm not going to jump in it and get killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-some-black-man-go-out-and-start-something-a-riot-or-something-or-i/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [People are going to always have their opinions whether you date a black man or not. I've had girlfriends, family members comment on black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/people-are-going-to-always-have-their-opinions-whether-you-date-a/) [Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/) > [As a black man, I actually had naturally sort of comedic curiosity about the Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-kamau-bell/as-a-black-man-i-actually-had-naturally-sort-of-comedic-curiosity/) [W. Kamau Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-kamau-bell/) > [I'm a black man that is proud to be black, and I want to help the black community, but I love all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/i-m-a-black-man-that-is-proud-to-be-black-and-i-want-to-help-the/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) ## More by Jackie Robinson > [I had to fight hard against loneliness, abuse, and the knowledge that any mistakes I made would be magnified because I was the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/i-had-to-fight-hard-against-loneliness-abuse-and-the-knowledge-that/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [I have always been grateful to Colonel Longley. He proved to me that when people in authority take a stand, good can come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/i-have-always-been-grateful-to-colonel-longley-he-proved-to-me-that/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [Today, Negroes play on every big league club and in every minor league. With millions of other Negroes in other walks of life, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/today-negroes-play-on-every-big-league-club-and-in-every-minor-league/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [In all my years of baseball, I have always expected to be traded. I never liked the idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/in-all-my-years-of-baseball-i-have-always-expected-to-be-traded-i/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [Pop flies, in a sense, are just a diversion for a second baseman. Grounders are his stock trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/pop-flies-in-a-sense-are-just-a-diversion-for-a-second-baseman/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [If I had been white with the things I did, they never would have allowed me to get out of baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/if-i-had-been-white-with-the-things-i-did-they-never-would-have/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [This ain't fun. But you watch me, I'll get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/this-ain-t-fun-but-you-watch-me-i-ll-get-it-done/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [Are you looking for a Negro who won't fight back?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/are-you-looking-for-a-negro-who-won-t-fight-back/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [If I had to choose between baseball’s Hall of Fame and first class citizenship for all of my people. I would say first-class citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/if-i-had-to-choose-between-baseball-s-hall-of-fame-and-first-class/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [I cannot possibly believe that I have it made while so many black brothers and sisters are hungry, inadequately housed, insufficiently clothed, denied their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/i-cannot-possibly-believe-that-i-have-it-made-while-so-many-black/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [I don't think that I or any other Negro, as an American citizen, should have to ask for anything that is rightfully his. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/i-don-t-think-that-i-or-any-other-negro-as-an-american-citizen-should/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/the-right-of-every-american-to-first-class-citizenship-is-the-most/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [It's not easy to be a martyr in the field of race relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/it-s-not-easy-to-be-a-martyr-in-the-field-of-race-relations/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap. That would be perfection. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/i-do-not-believe-that-every-person-in-every-walk-of-life-can-succeed/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [Next time I go to a movie and see a picture of a little ordinary girl become a great star… I’ll believe it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/next-time-i-go-to-a-movie-and-see-a-picture-of-a-little-ordinary-girl/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) [Explore all 63 Jackie Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After two years at UCLA, I decided to leave. 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