--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up very poor in rural Alabama." description: "\"I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.\" — John Lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg" --- # I grew up very poor in rural Alabama. ![“I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.” quote by John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg) > “I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.” [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Growing up in poverty shapes perspective and drives resilience. **In simple terms:** Poverty influences outlook. Key Takeaway Recognize and address systemic inequality. Themes poverty resilience upbringing Mood reflective hopeful Type speech testimonial When to use this quote - education reform - community support - policy advocacy Key Concepts social mobility economic disparity Questions to Reflect On - What can be done to break cycles of poverty? - How does upbringing affect ambition? A Different Perspective Individual effort alone cannot erase structural barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alabama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alabama/) [Grew Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-poor-345305/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Rural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-rural-411165/) [Rural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rural/) [Rural Alabama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rural-alabama-487358/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) ## Related quotes > [I don't have any extraordinary gifts. I'm just an average Joe who grew up very poor in rural Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-don-t-have-any-extraordinary-gifts-i-m-just-an-average-joe-who-grew/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [When I was growing up in rural Alabama, as a young child, about 50 miles from Montgomery, and we would visit the little town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/when-i-was-growing-up-in-rural-alabama-as-a-young-child-about-50/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I grew up in rural Alabama, and some of my older family members used to eat red clay dirt. As a kid, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-bailey/i-grew-up-in-rural-alabama-and-some-of-my-older-family-members-used/) [Cynthia Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-bailey/) > [My mom had to be resourceful. She grew up dirt poor in rural Louisiana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gardner/my-mom-had-to-be-resourceful-she-grew-up-dirt-poor-in-rural-louisiana/) [Chris Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gardner/) > [I grew up in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, in a very loving, wonderful family: wonderful mother, wonderful father. We attended church; we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-in-rural-alabama-50-miles-from-montgomery-in-a-very-loving/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [No poor, rural, weak, or black person should ever again have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/no-poor-rural-weak-or-black-person-should-ever-again-have-to-bear-the/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I just grew up a poor black kid in Alabama with a single mom and two brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-just-grew-up-a-poor-black-kid-in-alabama-with-a-single-mom-and-two/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [If you care to define the South as a poor, rural region with lousy race relations, that South survives only in geographical shreds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/if-you-care-to-define-the-south-as-a-poor-rural-region-with-lousy/) [John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/) > [Neither Western donor countries like the U.S. nor poor recipients like Cameroon care much about Africans who are poor, rural and female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/neither-western-donor-countries-like-the-u-s-nor-poor-recipients-like/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [I grew up in a rural area. I grew up in deep southern middle Tennessee, probably about thirty miles from the Alabama border. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-qualls/i-grew-up-in-a-rural-area-i-grew-up-in-deep-southern-middle-tennessee/) [DJ Qualls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-qualls/) > [In 1965, the attempted march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7 was planned to dramatize to the state of Alabama and to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/in-1965-the-attempted-march-from-selma-to-montgomery-on-march-7-was/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I grew up poor in San Pedro, California, sleeping on the floor of shady motels with my five siblings and not always sure when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-grew-up-poor-in-san-pedro-california-sleeping-on-the-floor-of-shady/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [I've always felt like a lot of people's misconceptions of me have to do with how I grew up. I grew up poor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt-jr/i-ve-always-felt-like-a-lot-of-people-s-misconceptions-of-me-have-to/) [Dale Earnhardt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt-jr/) > [Here are the facts: my folks grew up so poor that, in the words of Redd Foxx, there were twenty o's between the p…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/here-are-the-facts-my-folks-grew-up-so-poor-that-in-the-words-of-redd/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [A lot of rappers say 'I'm talking about stuff that goes on, what I grew up in, that I know about.' And these journalists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-scott/a-lot-of-rappers-say-i-m-talking-about-stuff-that-goes-on-what-i-grew/) [Stuart Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-scott/) ## More by John Lewis > [ I happen to believe that this election year \[2016\] is...one of the most important elections that we're going to face in a very long… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-happen-to-believe-that-this-election-year-2016-is-one-of-the-most/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [If you're not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to take that long hard look and just believe that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/if-you-re-not-hopeful-and-optimistic-then-you-just-give-up-you-have/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The reward for playing jazz is playing jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-reward-for-playing-jazz-is-playing-jazz/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I am very, very hopeful about the American South - I believe that we will lead America to what Dr. King called 'the beloved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-am-very-very-hopeful-about-the-american-south-i-believe-that-we/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ \[Donald Trump's inauguration\] will be the first one that I miss since I've been in Congress. You cannot be at home with something that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/donald-trump-s-inauguration-will-be-the-first-one-that-i-miss-since-i/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [To question the legitimacy of the next United States president, you know, and you're worried about a tweet that says, hey, why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/to-question-the-legitimacy-of-the-next-united-states-president-you/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jails over and over again. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/we-are-tired-of-being-beaten-by-policemen-we-are-tired-of-seeing-our/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [“For me, the nomination of Barack Obama as a candidate for president and his inauguration in Washington represents a brief glimpse at the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/for-me-the-nomination-of-barack-obama-as-a-candidate-for-president/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/too-many-people-struggled-suffered-and-died-to-make-it-possible-for/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The vote is precious. It's almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-vote-is-precious-it-s-almost-sacred-so-go-out-and-vote-like-you/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [My position is very, very simple. That I fought too long and too hard against discrimination based on race and color, not to stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/my-position-is-very-very-simple-that-i-fought-too-long-and-too-hard/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Many of us in Nashville accepted nonviolence as a way of life, a way of living, not simply as a technique or a tactic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/many-of-us-in-nashville-accepted-nonviolence-as-a-way-of-life-a-way/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Right now, what my job is - pardon me? Those are just words. Right now, what my - my job is right now going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/right-now-what-my-job-is-pardon-me-those-are-just-words-right-now/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [ Donald Trump has made it clear that certainly over the last few years that President \[Barack\] Obama was born in Hawaii. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/donald-trump-has-made-it-clear-that-certainly-over-the-last-few-years/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) [Explore all 258 John Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) ## More Alabama quotes > [Alabama soldiers, all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/alabama-soldiers-all-i-ask-of-you-is-to-keep-up-with-the-texans/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. In Blackmon’s estimation, “roughly half of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/alabama-in-1927-alone-27-701-men-were-arrested-on-misdemeanor-charges/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [I was haunted always by my other life-my drab room in the Bronx, my square foot of the subway, my fixation upon the day's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-was-haunted-always-by-my-other-life-my-drab-room-in-the-bronx-my/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The great thing that I appreciate - the fact that my godfather, William 'Sticky' Jackson, was a Tuskegee Airman because my father was first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/the-great-thing-that-i-appreciate-the-fact-that-my-godfather-william/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [I'll never forget where I came from, and that my home is forever Sweet Home Alabama!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bearer/i-ll-never-forget-where-i-came-from-and-that-my-home-is-forever-sweet/) [Paul Bearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bearer/) > [Alabama's a football state and you really don't get too many basketball players out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/alabama-s-a-football-state-and-you-really-don-t-get-too-many/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) > [When I was growing up in Alabama in the '50s, even though we were poor and the laws were against blacks, we still had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lee-peterson/when-i-was-growing-up-in-alabama-in-the-50s-even-though-we-were-poor/) [Jesse Lee Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lee-peterson/) > [May God continue to bless sweet home Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/may-god-continue-to-bless-sweet-home-alabama/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [Because Republicans defected and voted with all the Democrats to reject Jeff Sessions' nomination when they discovered that when he was working as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/because-republicans-defected-and-voted-with-all-the-democrats-to/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [My uncle is a Southern planter. He's an undertaker in Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-uncle-is-a-southern-planter-he-s-an-undertaker-in-alabama/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [On his 916th game as coach at University of Alabama - I've been here so long that when I got here the Dead Sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfrey-sanderson/on-his-916th-game-as-coach-at-university-of-alabama-i-ve-been-here-so/) [Winfrey Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfrey-sanderson/) > [Beginning in June, Alabama seniors previously without prescription drug coverage should begin to see savings of between 10 and 25 percent on their medications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rogers/beginning-in-june-alabama-seniors-previously-without-prescription/) [Mike Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rogers/) > [It is my goal as governor to steady the ship of state and improve the image of Alabama, part of that entails ending unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/it-is-my-goal-as-governor-to-steady-the-ship-of-state-and-improve-the/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [The BP settlement is a victory for Alabama: not only for the amount of compensation we were able to secure, but also for avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-strange/the-bp-settlement-is-a-victory-for-alabama-not-only-for-the-amount-of/) [Luther Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-strange/) > [I had an art teacher who's the reason I got there in high school who encouraged me to go to Alabama. That's where she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sela-ward/i-had-an-art-teacher-who-s-the-reason-i-got-there-in-high-school-who/) [Sela Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sela-ward/) [Browse all 371 Alabama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alabama/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alabama" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/john-lewis-1310_alabama_i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama-126_1267305.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.” — John Lewis", "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": "John Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I grew up very poor in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/#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 } } ] } ```