--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father was a physicist and also an…" description: "\"My father was a physicist and also an activist. My first public protest was with my dad at Stanford. I came by all that honestly.\" — Joan Baez" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/joan-baez-5389_activist_my-father-was-a-physicist-and-also-an-ac_1426816.jpg" --- # My father was a physicist and also an activist. My first… ![“My father was a physicist and also an activist. My first public protest was with my dad at Stanford. I came by all that honestly.” quote by Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/joan-baez-5389_activist_my-father-was-a-physicist-and-also-an-ac_1426816.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/joan-baez-5389_activist_my-father-was-a-physicist-and-also-an-ac_1426816.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/joan-baez-5389_activist_my-father-was-a-physicist-and-also-an-ac_1426816.jpg) > “My father was a physicist and also an activist. My first public protest was with my dad at Stanford. I came by all that honestly.” [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A personal reflection on family influence shaping activism and identity. **In simple terms:** Family shaped my activism. Key Takeaway Embrace your roots in your causes. Themes family activism identity heritage personal growth Mood reflective inspirational Type personal narrative historical When to use this quote - community organizing - family discussions - education - social movements Key Concepts social responsibility intergenerational influence public protest Questions to Reflect On - How does your family background shape your values? - What pressures arise from following a parent’s path? A Different Perspective Family legacy can also create pressure to conform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) ## Related quotes > [My father was a physicist, while I am a biogeochemist. 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My time was occupied with the required reading and the extracurricular duties of managing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/at-17-i-went-to-stanford-university-to-study-engineering-my-time-was/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Only in high school when I began programming computers, did I become interested in tech and start-ups, which led me to attend Stanford and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/only-in-high-school-when-i-began-programming-computers-did-i-become/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Let's face it, I like Stanford grads. I'd always hear about this campus, and everybody is riding bikes, and people hopping into fountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/let-s-face-it-i-like-stanford-grads-i-d-always-hear-about-this-campus/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The war project at Stanford was essentially completed, and I accepted an offer of an Assistant Professorship at the University of Minnesota, which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-d-boyer/the-war-project-at-stanford-was-essentially-completed-and-i-accepted/) [Paul D. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-d-boyer/) > [I went to Stanford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-went-to-stanford/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [When I was nine, we moved to Stanford University in San Francisco so that my father could do a Ph.D. I went to Terman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lawrence/when-i-was-nine-we-moved-to-stanford-university-in-san-francisco-so/) [Caroline Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lawrence/) > [In marked contrast to the University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry was hardly visible at Stanford in 1945, consisting of only two professors in the chemistry department.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-d-boyer/in-marked-contrast-to-the-university-of-wisconsin-biochemistry-was/) [Paul D. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-d-boyer/) > [“THE ORIGINS of this book go back to a casual lunch on the Stanford campus–Thai food eaten outdoors, a sunny and pleasant afternoon–in February…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-origins-of-this-book-go-back-to-a-casual-lunch-on-the-stanford/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You're already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-re-already-naked-there-is-no-reason-not-to-follow-your-heart/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [My high school, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, showed me that anything is possible and that you're never too young to think big.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-shih/my-high-school-the-illinois-mathematics-and-science-academy-showed-me/) [Clara Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-shih/) > [Madaming is the sort of thing that happens to you - like getting a battlefield commission or becoming the dean of women at Stanford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-stanford/madaming-is-the-sort-of-thing-that-happens-to-you-like-getting-a/) [Sally Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-stanford/) ## More by Joan Baez > [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [Put tattoos all up and down our thighs, do anything our parents would despise. Take uppers, downers, blues, and reds and yellows, our brains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/put-tattoos-all-up-and-down-our-thighs-do-anything-our-parents-would/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [We're not really pacifists, we're nonviolent soldiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/we-re-not-really-pacifists-we-re-nonviolent-soldiers/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [If it came back I would be thrilled. I would be delighted to write more songs. I need them now because I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/if-it-came-back-i-would-be-thrilled-i-would-be-delighted-to-write/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [There's a consensus out that it's OK to kill when your government decides who to kill. If you kill inside the country you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/there-s-a-consensus-out-that-it-s-ok-to-kill-when-your-government/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [God must have something to do with joy ... and with sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/god-must-have-something-to-do-with-joy-and-with-sadness/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [People say I'm such a pessimist, but I always was. It never stopped me from doing what I had to do. I would say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/people-say-i-m-such-a-pessimist-but-i-always-was-it-never-stopped-me/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [ It \[my vocal\] didn't sound like what I wanted to hear; the vibrato isn't what I liked anymore. So I got myself to an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/it-my-vocal-didn-t-sound-like-what-i-wanted-to-hear-the-vibrato-isn-t/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [I see a young man playing 'Plaisir d'Amour' on guitar. I knew I didn't want to go to college; I was already playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/i-see-a-young-man-playing-plaisir-d-amour-on-guitar-i-knew-i-didn-t/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [The only thing that's been a worse flop than the organization of nonviolence has been the organization of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/the-only-thing-that-s-been-a-worse-flop-than-the-organization-of/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [The point of nonviolence is to build a floor, a strong new floor, beneath which we can no longer sink. A platform which stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/the-point-of-nonviolence-is-to-build-a-floor-a-strong-new-floor/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [To love means you also trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/to-love-means-you-also-trust/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [Hypothetical questions get hypothetical answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/hypothetical-questions-get-hypothetical-answers/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [I'd hear a tune in my head and the words would come. And then, very suddenly it just stopped. It seemed too stilted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/i-d-hear-a-tune-in-my-head-and-the-words-would-come-and-then-very/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [ That was sheer luck that it \[being immersed into folk scene\] happened when my voice began to develop. I don't know exactly what would… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/that-was-sheer-luck-that-it-being-immersed-into-folk-scene-happened/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) [Explore all 101 Joan Baez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) ## More Activist quotes > [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/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Social media is not just another way to connect feminist and activist voices - it amplifies our messages as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/social-media-is-not-just-another-way-to-connect-feminist-and-activist/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I have never been an activist for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/i-have-never-been-an-activist-for-anything/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [I've been an activist in the LGBT community for a long time. I think nothing's changed, I'm just a little bit more focused on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bono/i-ve-been-an-activist-in-the-lgbt-community-for-a-long-time-i-think/) [Chaz Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bono/) > [I've been an activist since I was a teenager. I was always curious about what we would now call social justice. I remember just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-ve-been-an-activist-since-i-was-a-teenager-i-was-always-curious/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I think that compared to other politicians who have been put in jail in the past, compared to the human-rights activists in history who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-think-that-compared-to-other-politicians-who-have-been-put-in-jail/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Some kinds of activists are more willing to try stuff out, see if works and think on their feet, but some of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/some-kinds-of-activists-are-more-willing-to-try-stuff-out-see-if/) [Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/) > [Black gay activists should try to build coalitions of people for the elimination of all injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/black-gay-activists-should-try-to-build-coalitions-of-people-for-the/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) > [You do what you know is good, because it's good, and then you have a certain peace of mind, saying, you've been an activist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-do-what-you-know-is-good-because-it-s-good-and-then-you-have-a/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [Obviously the transgender movement has not progressed in the way that the gay and lesbian movement has. 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