--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Genetically, I'm pure Greek…" description: "\"Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally, culturally, by choice, I'm a member of the black community.\" — Johnny Otis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg" --- # Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically… ![“Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally, culturally, by choice, I'm a member of the black community.” quote by Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg) > “Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally, culturally, by choice, I'm a member of the black community.” [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity can be defined by genetics, environment, culture, and personal choice, allowing multiple affiliations. **In simple terms:** Identity blends heritage and choice. Key Takeaway Embrace all parts of yourself. Themes identity culture choice heritage Mood reflective proud Type personal sociocultural When to use this quote - personal relationships - community involvement - activism Key Concepts intersectionality self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How do you navigate multiple identities? - What does belonging mean to you? A Different Perspective Identity can be contested or misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-community/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) ## Related quotes > [“...Once again confirms that there is no such thing as genetically pure classification into different races.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-sykes/once-again-confirms-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-genetically-pure/) [Bryan Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-sykes/) > [“Control, maybe? Control the genetically damaged population by teaching them that there’s something wrong with them, and control the genetically pure population by teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/control-maybe-control-the-genetically-damaged-population-by-teaching/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Eugenics was central to the entire Nazi enterprise, joined with romantic nativist and racist myths of the pure-bred Nordic. The emphasis on 'blood' called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-thompson/eugenics-was-central-to-the-entire-nazi-enterprise-joined-with/) Alison Thompson > [It is true that no member state can be required to make payments to others. But if countries want to offer voluntary assistance, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/it-is-true-that-no-member-state-can-be-required-to-make-payments-to/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) > [Mass ought to be in Latin, unless you could do it in Greek or Chinese. In fact, any abracadabra that no bloody member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/mass-ought-to-be-in-latin-unless-you-could-do-it-in-greek-or-chinese/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [Republicans think that the NAACP is the only voice in the black community. It is a voice in the black community. But it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-watts/republicans-think-that-the-naacp-is-the-only-voice-in-the-black/) [J. C. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-watts/) > [The black community is broken up in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-owens/the-black-community-is-broken-up-in-general/) [Candace Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-owens/) > [Anger in the black community towards Republicans is established and immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/anger-in-the-black-community-towards-republicans-is-established-and/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [As blacks, we need not be afraid that encouraging moraldevelopment, a conscience and guilt will prevent social action. Black children without the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-comer-2/as-blacks-we-need-not-be-afraid-that-encouraging-moraldevelopment-a/) James P Comer > [One of the prices that we pay for integration was the disintegration of the black community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-smith/one-of-the-prices-that-we-pay-for-integration-was-the-disintegration/) [Ed Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-smith/) > [Who are the slumlords in the Black community? The so-called Jews. … Who is it sucking our blood in the Black community? A white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/who-are-the-slumlords-in-the-black-community-the-so-called-jews-who/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [Within the black community, roughly 60 percent of children are born to single moms. Moms don't have the emotional wherewithal to deal with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/within-the-black-community-roughly-60-percent-of-children-are-born-to/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [So I was really excited when I came to America about meeting black people. But it was a huge culture shock, because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-turner-smith/so-i-was-really-excited-when-i-came-to-america-about-meeting-black/) [Jodie Turner-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-turner-smith/) > [I'm a black man that is proud to be black, and I want to help the black community, but I love all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/i-m-a-black-man-that-is-proud-to-be-black-and-i-want-to-help-the/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## More by Johnny Otis > [I'm not suggesting our music is the only music, but I am suggesting that there are certain elements in America's culture that are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/i-m-not-suggesting-our-music-is-the-only-music-but-i-am-suggesting/) [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) > [Society wants to categorize everything, but to me it's all African-American music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/society-wants-to-categorize-everything-but-to-me-it-s-all-african/) [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) > [People are going to wake up to this great reservoir of music we've created in America - cakewalks, one-steps, boogie-woogie, country and western. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/people-are-going-to-wake-up-to-this-great-reservoir-of-music-we-ve/) [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) > [When I got near teen age, I was so happy with my friends and the African-American culture that I couldn't imagine not being part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/when-i-got-near-teen-age-i-was-so-happy-with-my-friends-and-the/) [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) > [I get a wave of pride in America when I look back at what we've accomplished in the field of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/i-get-a-wave-of-pride-in-america-when-i-look-back-at-what-we-ve/) [Johnny Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) [Explore all 6 Johnny Otis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally, culturally, by choice, I'm a member of the black community.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Johnny Otis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychologically-environmentally-culturally/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychologically-environmentally-culturally/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6d/johnny-otis-53762_black_genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychological_365848.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally, culturally, by choice, I'm a member of the…” — Johnny Otis", "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": "Johnny Otis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-otis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Genetically, I'm pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychologically-environmentally-culturally/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-otis/genetically-i-m-pure-greek-psychologically-environmentally-culturally/#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 } } ] } ```