--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a long history and a pattern of…" description: "\"There's a long history and a pattern of Black athletes - and Black people, period - being told to shut up and accept whatever it is they're given.\" — J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg" --- # There's a long history and a pattern of Black athletes… ![“There's a long history and a pattern of Black athletes - and Black people, period - being told to shut up and accept whatever it is they're given.” quote by Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg) > “There's a long history and a pattern of Black athletes - and Black people, period - being told to shut up and accept whatever it is they're given.” [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black athletes and people are often silenced and forced to accept limited roles. **In simple terms:** Black voices are suppressed and expected to accept the status quo. Key Takeaway Challenge the narrative and demand equitable representation. Themes racism silencing representation athletics Mood frustrated determined Type political social commentary When to use this quote - sports contracts - public speaking - activism - career advancement Key Concepts intersectionality systemic oppression media narrative Questions to Reflect On - How can marginalized voices amplify their stories? - What structures keep silence in place? A Different Perspective The quote overlooks individuals who successfully break barriers and change narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) [Athletes Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletes-black-1249716/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Black Athletes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-athletes-305286/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Period](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-period-1249717/) [Period Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period-told-1249718/) ## Related quotes > [Seven out of 10 black faces you see on television are athletes. The black athlete carries the image of the black community. He carries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/seven-out-of-10-black-faces-you-see-on-television-are-athletes-the/) [Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/) > [Too often, black athletes are presented as angry, overly aggressive and overly sexual. Or sometimes, they're just plain emasculated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/too-often-black-athletes-are-presented-as-angry-overly-aggressive-and/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Although study after study shows black men are more likely to be victims of crime, rarely do they receive victim treatment. When black athletes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/although-study-after-study-shows-black-men-are-more-likely-to-be/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [When a country doesn't respect Black lives, maybe it doesn't deserve to be entertained by Black athletes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/when-a-country-doesn-t-respect-black-lives-maybe-it-doesn-t-deserve/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [There is no one artform that is going to satisfy all human beings, and there's no one way of talking about difficult stuff that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-beatriz/there-is-no-one-artform-that-is-going-to-satisfy-all-human-beings-and/) [Stephanie Beatriz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-beatriz/) > [The people at the bottom are my favorite kind of people, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sexyy-red/the-people-at-the-bottom-are-my-favorite-kind-of-people-period/) [Sexyy Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sexyy-red/) > [There is no better indication of what the people of any period are like than the plays they go to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/there-is-no-better-indication-of-what-the-people-of-any-period-are/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [They cannot have cis people making decisions for trans people, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chappell-roan/they-cannot-have-cis-people-making-decisions-for-trans-people-period/) [Chappell Roan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chappell-roan/) > [I'm very proud of the fact that we dispelled the myth about black athletes not being able to survive in Green Bay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-holmgren/i-m-very-proud-of-the-fact-that-we-dispelled-the-myth-about-black/) [Mike Holmgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-holmgren/) > [Many of the greatest black athletes of all time played baseball for no money and no recognition. I'm just sorry many major league fans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monte-irvin/many-of-the-greatest-black-athletes-of-all-time-played-baseball-for/) [Monte Irvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monte-irvin/) > [ I still think that there's some kind of psychological investment in black athletes carrying the flag for "us" at times. So, sports \[remains a\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-elliott-clarke/i-still-think-that-there-s-some-kind-of-psychological-investment-in/) [George Elliott Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-elliott-clarke/) > [O.J. Simpson was primarily interested in O.J. His rise to fame in the late '60s coincided with the period where black athletes were more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-edelman/o-j-simpson-was-primarily-interested-in-o-j-his-rise-to-fame-in-the/) [Ezra Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-edelman/) > [There is no shame in black athletes not wanting to be role models, but there should be shame when they don't behave like one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lz-granderson/there-is-no-shame-in-black-athletes-not-wanting-to-be-role-models-but/) [LZ Granderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lz-granderson/) > [In Africa, kids don't look at black athletes and say, 'They're different from us.' They look at them and say, 'That can be me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/in-africa-kids-don-t-look-at-black-athletes-and-say-they-re-different/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm an athlete and I'm black, and a lot of black athletes go broke. I do not want to become a statistic, so maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/i-m-an-athlete-and-i-m-black-and-a-lot-of-black-athletes-go-broke-i/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) ## More by Jemele Hill > [I prefer rappers who have something intelligent to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/i-prefer-rappers-who-have-something-intelligent-to-say/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Racism has never been outright gone in the history of this nation, but I think we've had moments where everybody has been really fed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/racism-has-never-been-outright-gone-in-the-history-of-this-nation-but/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Yes, I do realize that men in sports media also face criticism and backlash, but the vitriol that is directed at women, especially women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/yes-i-do-realize-that-men-in-sports-media-also-face-criticism-and/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Just because I've written extensively about race doesn't render me incapable of making the same mistakes as the people I've written about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/just-because-i-ve-written-extensively-about-race-doesn-t-render-me/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [When you're a kid, you don't understand your parents are flawed people. You want them to be perfect, and when they aren't, it's hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/when-you-re-a-kid-you-don-t-understand-your-parents-are-flawed-people/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Although study after study shows black men are more likely to be victims of crime, rarely do they receive victim treatment. When black athletes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/although-study-after-study-shows-black-men-are-more-likely-to-be/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [It's something most people of color and most women have been burdened with their whole lives, having to suppress your natural emotion to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/it-s-something-most-people-of-color-and-most-women-have-been-burdened/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Shaq is like an oversized muppet, and who doesn't love muppets?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/shaq-is-like-an-oversized-muppet-and-who-doesn-t-love-muppets/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Trump delights in building his campaigns around white Americans' racial anxieties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/trump-delights-in-building-his-campaigns-around-white-americans/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Race impacts 90 percent of our society - and I'm probably undershooting that figure. I find this fascinating and like to address it when pertinent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/race-impacts-90-percent-of-our-society-and-i-m-probably-undershooting/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [There was no excuse for Dallas Cowboys to lose to Washington. Rivalry or not, Redskins are a bad team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/there-was-no-excuse-for-dallas-cowboys-to-lose-to-washington-rivalry/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [I once wrote about Don Imus that 'speech is free, but consequences are not.' I never want to be the exception to that rule,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/i-once-wrote-about-don-imus-that-speech-is-free-but-consequences-are/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [A NASCAR guy can drop-kick another driver through his car window and it is just considered part of the sport. Hockey players drop their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/a-nascar-guy-can-drop-kick-another-driver-through-his-car-window-and/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [I just hope that my success is in some way influencing other outlets to really be much more purposeful in promoting, advancing and recruiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/i-just-hope-that-my-success-is-in-some-way-influencing-other-outlets/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [Anyone who generates opinion for a living is going to get plenty of feedback, positive or negative. Some people indeed don't like the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/anyone-who-generates-opinion-for-a-living-is-going-to-get-plenty-of/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) [Explore all 102 Jemele Hill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) ## More Accept quotes > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [The fans can accept a poor performance, but they won't take it when you choose not to put in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/the-fans-can-accept-a-poor-performance-but-they-won-t-take-it-when/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [“See, I know what they think about me. That I’m some project. And, yeah, I’ll accept their help. But I’m gonna pay my way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/see-i-know-what-they-think-about-me-that-i-m-some-project-and-yeah-i/) [Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/) > [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/) [Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/) > [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/) [Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/) > [Not harder than it should be, no. We're about the business, we're about the work. It's all about the work, always. We have fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/not-harder-than-it-should-be-no-we-re-about-the-business-we-re-about/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [I wish I could just accept that I'm not that good and not be shy about the fact that I'm not that professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-wish-i-could-just-accept-that-i-m-not-that-good-and-not-be-shy/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [“I hope there is less stigma and judgment against working moms and childless career women. All should be acceptable positions and society should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chan-heng-chee/i-hope-there-is-less-stigma-and-judgment-against-working-moms-and/) [Chan Heng Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chan-heng-chee/) > [“Of course I can accept you for who you are. You are someone I need to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-glasbergen/of-course-i-can-accept-you-for-who-you-are-you-are-someone-i-need-to/) [Randy Glasbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-glasbergen/) > [I can't be that kind of person others want me to be.I know I can't please everybody for just being me But I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/i-can-t-be-that-kind-of-person-others-want-me-to-be-i-know-i-can-t/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [I don't care who you are,Where you from,As long as you love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mks-vibz/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-where-you-from-as-long-as-you-love-me/) [Mks Vibz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mks-vibz/) [Browse all 2,963 Accept quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a long history and a pattern of Black athletes - and Black people, period - being told to shut up and accept whatever it is they're given.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jemele Hill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of-black-athletes-and-black/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accept" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of-black-athletes-and-black/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/jemele-hill-5269_accept_there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of_2520884.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's a long history and a pattern of Black athletes - and Black people, period - being told to shut up…” — Jemele Hill", "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": "Jemele Hill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's a long history and a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of-black-athletes-and-black/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/there-s-a-long-history-and-a-pattern-of-black-athletes-and-black/#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 } } ] } ```