--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of us think the word racism is…" description: "\"“Most of us think the word racism is synonymous with the word prejudice. But racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. It’s also abo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/jodi-picoult-45_discrimination_most-of-us-think-the-word-racism-is-syno_2671980.jpg" --- # Most of us think the word racism is synonymous with the… ![“Most of us think the word racism is synonymous with the word prejudice. But racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. It’s also about who has institutional power. Just as racism creates disadvantages for people of color that make success harder to achieve, it also gives…” quote by Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/jodi-picoult-45_discrimination_most-of-us-think-the-word-racism-is-syno_2671980.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/jodi-picoult-45_discrimination_most-of-us-think-the-word-racism-is-syno_2671980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/727/jodi-picoult-45_discrimination_most-of-us-think-the-word-racism-is-syno_2671980.jpg) > ““Most of us think the word racism is synonymous with the word prejudice. But racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. It’s also about who has institutional power. Just as racism creates disadvantages for people of color that make success harder to achieve, it also gives advantages to white people that make success easier to achieve. It’s hard to see those advantages, much less own up to them. And that, I realized, was why I had to write this book.”” [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racism includes systemic power imbalances, not just personal bias; it creates hidden advantages for the dominant group and obstacles for marginalized groups. **In simple terms:** Racism is about power and hidden benefits, not only prejudice. Key Takeaway Recognize and address systemic advantages. Themes racism power inequality Mood reflective serious Type analytical educational When to use this quote - education - policy reform - personal reflection - organizational training Key Concepts systemic bias privilege social justice Questions to Reflect On - How do hidden privileges affect your decisions? - What steps can you take to expose systemic bias? A Different Perspective Racism also involves individual attitudes that can resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Skin color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin-color/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Just as racism creates disadvantages for people of color that make success harder to achieve, it also gives advantages to white people that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/just-as-racism-creates-disadvantages-for-people-of-color-that-make/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [If one lives in a country where racism is held valid and practiced in all ways of life eventually, no matter whether one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/if-one-lives-in-a-country-where-racism-is-held-valid-and-practiced-in/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [ The "r" word \[racism\] is a scary word to me - I don't like to say it. I'm not trying to say it doesn't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-chastain/the-r-word-racism-is-a-scary-word-to-me-i-don-t-like-to-say-it-i-m/) [Brandi Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-chastain/) > [There are still generations of people, older people, who were born and bred and marinated in it, in that prejudice and racism, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/there-are-still-generations-of-people-older-people-who-were-born-and/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [When I experienced racism here in my own country, I was not prepared for it. I had never heard the word racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/when-i-experienced-racism-here-in-my-own-country-i-was-not-prepared/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [In the time when my mother began standing up against prejudice and racism, the vast majority of white Americans rarely thought about civil rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezekiel-emanuel/in-the-time-when-my-mother-began-standing-up-against-prejudice-and/) [Ezekiel Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezekiel-emanuel/) > [People often get racism mixed up with bigotry or prejudice. We need to get our terminology straightened out. We obviously have racial problems that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/people-often-get-racism-mixed-up-with-bigotry-or-prejudice-we-need-to/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [The word 'racism' is like ketchup. It can be put on practically anything - and demanding evidence makes you a 'racist.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-word-racism-is-like-ketchup-it-can-be-put-on-practically-anything/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The Holocaust illustrates the consequences of prejudice, racism and stereotyping on a society. It forces us to examine the responsibilities of citizenship and confront…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-holden/the-holocaust-illustrates-the-consequences-of-prejudice-racism-and/) [Tim Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-holden/) > [I have always abhorred the word racism. I never use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-clyburn/i-have-always-abhorred-the-word-racism-i-never-use-it/) [Jim Clyburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-clyburn/) > [When I was growing up, I never heard the word 'racism.' It was only in Paris I encountered that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/when-i-was-growing-up-i-never-heard-the-word-racism-it-was-only-in/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [“Understanding America for the Non-American Black: Thoughts on the Special White Friend One great gift for the Zipped-Up Negro is The White Friend Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/understanding-america-for-the-non-american-black-thoughts-on-the/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [This is really skin privilege, the ranking of color in terms of its closeness to white people or white-skinned people and its devaluation according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/this-is-really-skin-privilege-the-ranking-of-color-in-terms-of-its/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“I spent most of my time floating on an inflatable raft in the pristine Mediterranean waters, my big belly curving toward the sun, reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/i-spent-most-of-my-time-floating-on-an-inflatable-raft-in-the/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) ## More by Jodi Picoult > [You get through it, you just never get over it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-get-through-it-you-just-never-get-over-it/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Let me guess," Eric says, "You never meant for it to happen." "Hell, yes, I did. I've wanted her since you two started dating."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/let-me-guess-eric-says-you-never-meant-for-it-to-happen-hell-yes-i/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“It’s the difference between dancing along the eggshell crust of acquaintance and diving into the messy center of a relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-the-difference-between-dancing-along-the-eggshell-crust-of/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Because hate's just the flip side of love. Like heads and tails on a dime. If you don't know what it feels like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/because-hate-s-just-the-flip-side-of-love-like-heads-and-tails-on-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I love feeling loved. I don't love knowing that I will always come in second place. I love the fact that at least sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-love-feeling-loved-i-don-t-love-knowing-that-i-will-always-come-in/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Music is the language of memory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/music-is-the-language-of-memory/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [But there is a different between mending someone who's broken and finding someone who makes you complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/but-there-is-a-different-between-mending-someone-who-s-broken-and/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“sometimes words are not big enough to contain all the feelings you are trying to pour into them. My”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/sometimes-words-are-not-big-enough-to-contain-all-the-feelings-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“The age wasn't as important as the milestones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-age-wasn-t-as-important-as-the-milestones/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The night is falling down around us. Meteors rain like fireworks, quick rips in the seam of the dark... Every second, another streak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-night-is-falling-down-around-us-meteors-rain-like-fireworks-quick/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“When she had packed all the artifacts that made up their personal history into liquor store boxes, the house became strictly a feminine place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/when-she-had-packed-all-the-artifacts-that-made-up-their-personal/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Here's what I hadn't realized : the mother you haven't seen for almost 36 years isn't your mother. She is a stranger. Sharing DNA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/here-s-what-i-hadn-t-realized-the-mother-you-haven-t-seen-for-almost/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [My brother believed in all sorts of mythical creatures: pixies, dragons, werewolves, honest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/my-brother-believed-in-all-sorts-of-mythical-creatures-pixies-dragons/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) [Explore all 2,062 Jodi Picoult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More Discrimination quotes > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I believe that those who promote discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or any other grounds are gravely mistaken about the values that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/i-believe-that-those-who-promote-discrimination-on-the-basis-of/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-obvious-that-discrimination-exists-women-do-not-have-the/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Judging someone by the color of their skin is ignorant. Their skin complexion has nothing to do with their morals, beliefs or intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/judging-someone-by-the-color-of-their-skin-is-ignorant-their-skin/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We try to take a very strong stance against discrimination and hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-blecharczyk/we-try-to-take-a-very-strong-stance-against-discrimination-and-hatred/) [Nathan Blecharczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-blecharczyk/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [End discrimination and hate everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candy/end-discrimination-and-hate-everyone/) [Candy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candy/) > [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/) Buck McKeon > [Legal discrimination between the sexes is, in almost every instance, founded on outmoded views of society and the pre-scientific beliefs about psychology and physiology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/legal-discrimination-between-the-sexes-is-in-almost-every-instance/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) [Browse all 1,366 Discrimination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most of us think the word racism is synonymous with the word prejudice. But racism is more than just discrimination based on skin color. It’s also about who has institutional power. 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