--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We had teachers, we had high school…" description: "\"We had teachers, we had high school principals, we had people teaching in colleges and university in Tuskegee, Alabama. But they were told they failed ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/john-lewis-1310_high_we-had-teachers-we-had-high-school-princ_1946487.jpg" --- # We had teachers, we had high school principals, we had… ![“We had teachers, we had high school principals, we had people teaching in colleges and university in Tuskegee, Alabama. But they were told they failed the so-called literacy test.” quote by John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/john-lewis-1310_high_we-had-teachers-we-had-high-school-princ_1946487.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/john-lewis-1310_high_we-had-teachers-we-had-high-school-princ_1946487.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/john-lewis-1310_high_we-had-teachers-we-had-high-school-princ_1946487.jpg) > “We had teachers, we had high school principals, we had people teaching in colleges and university in Tuskegee, Alabama. But they were told they failed the so-called literacy test.” [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. People were denied voting rights despite qualifications, being labeled as failures by biased literacy tests. **In simple terms:** Unfair tests blocked qualified voters. Key Takeaway Challenge unjust systems. Themes justice civil rights education Mood determined hopeful Type political activist When to use this quote - voter registration drives - legal advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts systemic racism voter suppression civil disobedience Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect voting rights today? - What actions can you take against voter suppression? A Different Perspective Legal reforms are needed, but societal attitudes also must change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-literacy-3133276/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Literacy Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy-test-1881088/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test/) [Told Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-failed-3133278/) [Tuskegee Alabama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tuskegee-alabama-3133277/) [University Tuskegee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university-tuskegee-3133279/) ## Related quotes > [You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-teach-a-child-to-read-and-he-or-her-will-be-able-to-pass-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'd been in jail, and I'd been beat. I had been to a voter registration workshop, you know, to - they were just training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/i-d-been-in-jail-and-i-d-been-beat-i-had-been-to-a-voter-registration/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I think there should be a literacy test and a poll tax for people to vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-think-there-should-be-a-literacy-test-and-a-poll-tax-for-people-to/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [In Selma, Alabama, in 1965, only 2.1 percent of blacks of voting age were registered to vote. The only place you could attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/in-selma-alabama-in-1965-only-2-1-percent-of-blacks-of-voting-age/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [In Tunisia, the so-called Yasmin revolution has led to the installation of a relatively moderate Islamic government. Whether or not that means democracy will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-creveld/in-tunisia-the-so-called-yasmin-revolution-has-led-to-the/) [Martin Van Creveld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-creveld/) > [I didn't pass my driving test till I was 38!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-didn-t-pass-my-driving-test-till-i-was-38/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [I've definitely grown into the job after that difficult first Test against Pakistan. I'd been captain for the Sri Lanka one-dayers, which hadn't gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-strauss/i-ve-definitely-grown-into-the-job-after-that-difficult-first-test/) [Andrew Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-strauss/) > [I was about nine years old when a teacher administered my IQ test. Unfortunately, as I was nine, I didn't know that I needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-o-brien/i-was-about-nine-years-old-when-a-teacher-administered-my-iq-test/) [Walter O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-o-brien/) > [Get a minimum viable product out there, test it out, see how customers respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shira-goodman/get-a-minimum-viable-product-out-there-test-it-out-see-how-customers/) [Shira Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shira-goodman/) > [“No test can measure anything important.   On”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/no-test-can-measure-anything-important-on/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [Your closest and your most dedicated fans will be your ultimate test. They will test you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/your-closest-and-your-most-dedicated-fans-will-be-your-ultimate-test/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [I hate cars that much, I don't even own one. The last one I bought was a Honda CR-V which I didn't even take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/i-hate-cars-that-much-i-don-t-even-own-one-the-last-one-i-bought-was/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [I do not say that, when brought to the test, I shall be invincible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-otis/i-do-not-say-that-when-brought-to-the-test-i-shall-be-invincible/) [James Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-otis/) > [We're on the road 300 days a year. There's no recovery time. It's a test of your physical and mental endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-phoenix/we-re-on-the-road-300-days-a-year-there-s-no-recovery-time-it-s-a/) [Beth Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-phoenix/) > [Hard times may test me, they cannot destroy me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/hard-times-may-test-me-they-cannot-destroy-me/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) ## 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. 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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 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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