--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can go on talking about racism and who…" description: "\"We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to wallow in that or are you going t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/judith-jamison-11111_racism_we-can-go-on-talking-about-racism-and-wh_2076138.png" --- # We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom… ![“We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to wallow in that or are you going to create your own agenda?” quote by Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/judith-jamison-11111_racism_we-can-go-on-talking-about-racism-and-wh_2076138.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/judith-jamison-11111_racism_we-can-go-on-talking-about-racism-and-wh_2076138.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/judith-jamison-11111_racism_we-can-go-on-talking-about-racism-and-wh_2076138.png) > “We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to wallow in that or are you going to create your own agenda?” [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discussing racism is insufficient without concrete action; personal agency is required to drive change. **In simple terms:** Talk is not enough; act. Key Takeaway Create and pursue personal initiatives for equity. Themes social justice activism personal responsibility Mood motivational urgent Type call to action reflective When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - education reform - personal projects Key Concepts systemic racism agency theory Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can you take today? - How can you sustain momentum beyond discussion? A Different Perspective Action can be hindered by structural barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Badly Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/badly-going-4032418/) [Create Agenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-agenda-4032417/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racism Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism-treated-4032416/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-racism-2293625/) [Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treated/) [Treated Badly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treated-badly-867779/) ## Related quotes > [“your heart on a shelf You've spent so much time being treated so badly That you can't see yourself without feeling sadly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-maxon/your-heart-on-a-shelf-you-ve-spent-so-much-time-being-treated-so/) [Ken Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-maxon/) > [All the nice girls in my life I have treated badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-khan/all-the-nice-girls-in-my-life-i-have-treated-badly/) [Sajid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-khan/) > [“everyone is affected when one person is demotivated, treated badly, not given due respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/everyone-is-affected-when-one-person-is-demotivated-treated-badly-not/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [You know, sometimes you fall in love and you get treated badly, sometimes you get treated well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/you-know-sometimes-you-fall-in-love-and-you-get-treated-badly/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [“We always want someone we've treated badly to be gay. It's less upsetting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/we-always-want-someone-we-ve-treated-badly-to-be-gay-it-s-less/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Talking about racism with white people can make white people very uncomfortable, Black people very uncomfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wunmi-mosaku/talking-about-racism-with-white-people-can-make-white-people-very/) [Wunmi Mosaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wunmi-mosaku/) > [Racism is a disease. Go to your doctor with an ailment, and let the doctor tell you, 'Well, look, I'm not going to treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-sharpe/racism-is-a-disease-go-to-your-doctor-with-an-ailment-and-let-the/) [Shannon Sharpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-sharpe/) > [Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kondabolu/telling-me-that-i-m-obsessed-with-talking-about-racism-in-america-is/) [Hari Kondabolu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kondabolu/) > [The White House wants us talking about racism and the justice system because they use it as a springboard to scare Americans about looting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-keilar/the-white-house-wants-us-talking-about-racism-and-the-justice-system/) [Brianna Keilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-keilar/) > [If I was in a room with a bunch of skinheads talking about racism, then I would be disturbed, but after we finished a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-furlong/if-i-was-in-a-room-with-a-bunch-of-skinheads-talking-about-racism/) [Edward Furlong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-furlong/) > [It was definitely during the Obama administration that talking about racism, or calling it out, suddenly seemed taboo. It seemed like talking about race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/it-was-definitely-during-the-obama-administration-that-talking-about/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [Being rude to someone who treated you badly is wrong. Just smile and spend the next few days planning their accidental death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/being-rude-to-someone-who-treated-you-badly-is-wrong-just-smile-and/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Part of the reason I wrote the book was I wanted to understand for myself why such good people let themselves get treated so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/part-of-the-reason-i-wrote-the-book-was-i-wanted-to-understand-for/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [When you have a limited resource and you have a lot of people wanting that resource, then those who get more justify as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/when-you-have-a-limited-resource-and-you-have-a-lot-of-people-wanting/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [“The reason you’re being treated so badly is because you don’t belong in Mimbeye. As long as you’re there, you’ll experience pain. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-grace-davis/the-reason-you-re-being-treated-so-badly-is-because-you-don-t-belong/) [Liz Grace Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-grace-davis/) ## More by Judith Jamison > [I'm very smart when it comes to choosing dancers and trying to show the world that there's a whole lot of dancing going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-m-very-smart-when-it-comes-to-choosing-dancers-and-trying-to-show/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [I believe in spirit and then I believe a manifestation of spirit is dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-believe-in-spirit-and-then-i-believe-a-manifestation-of-spirit-is/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [At 10, I could walk down the street and see over everybody's head. I don't remember being little or having to look up at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/at-10-i-could-walk-down-the-street-and-see-over-everybody-s-head-i/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [It's called the Ailey American Dance Theatre, not the Alvin Ailey African-American Dance Theatre. One thing also that Alvin wanted people to recognize, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/it-s-called-the-ailey-american-dance-theatre-not-the-alvin-ailey/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [You wake up white, and you think about certain things every day. You wake up black, and you think about certain things. You wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/you-wake-up-white-and-you-think-about-certain-things-every-day-you/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [As a dancer, you really try to stay true to whatever the choreographer/artistic director is giving you. So, now the shoe is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/as-a-dancer-you-really-try-to-stay-true-to-whatever-the-choreographer/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [Since babyhood, I've always evolved from one thing to another. My mother gave me ballet lessons at 6 as part of her enthusiasm for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/since-babyhood-i-ve-always-evolved-from-one-thing-to-another-my/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [I was a protege; by the age of 10, I was studying with ballet choreographer Anthony Tudor in a class of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-was-a-protege-by-the-age-of-10-i-was-studying-with-ballet/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [I can't really hear the audience applause when I'm on stage. I'm totally immersed in the piece. But sometimes I get a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-can-t-really-hear-the-audience-applause-when-i-m-on-stage-i-m/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [People don't remember me for how high my legs went, even though they went up very high, and how many pirouettes I did. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/people-don-t-remember-me-for-how-high-my-legs-went-even-though-they/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [It's never too early to teach your children about the tool of money. Teach them how to work for it and they learn pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/it-s-never-too-early-to-teach-your-children-about-the-tool-of-money/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/people-come-to-see-beauty-and-i-dance-to-give-it-to-them/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [As long as there are dancers around who love to dance, there will be an Alvin Ailey American Dance Company. We miss him so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/as-long-as-there-are-dancers-around-who-love-to-dance-there-will-be/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [I went to an audition for a Harry Belafonte Roaring Twenties special for choreographer Donald McKayle, but I failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-went-to-an-audition-for-a-harry-belafonte-roaring-twenties-special/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [I've been in a competitive situation almost all my life. I've been having a competition with myself and trying to be the best I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-ve-been-in-a-competitive-situation-almost-all-my-life-i-ve-been/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) [Explore all 61 Judith Jamison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) ## More Racism quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [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/) > [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/when-dealing-with-people-remember-you-are-not-dealing-with-creatures/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [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/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [The color of somebody's skin or the way he wears his hair or clothes has nothing to do with anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-color-of-somebody-s-skin-or-the-way-he-wears-his-hair-or-clothes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Caught in a racial uproar, people make all sorts of promises to make amends. Whatever they do tends to be heavy on symbolism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/caught-in-a-racial-uproar-people-make-all-sorts-of-promises-to-make/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [I hate prejudice on any level. I don't care if it's somebody being discriminated against because of the color of their skin or their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlamagne-tha-god/i-hate-prejudice-on-any-level-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-somebody-being/) [Charlamagne tha God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlamagne-tha-god/) > [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/) > [Black Privilege is a concrete motive that black people benefit from, such as racism but racism on whites. Black people don't know it but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/black-privilege-is-a-concrete-motive-that-black-people-benefit-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you do a black character or a female character or an Asian character, then they aren't just that character. They represent that race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-mcduffie/if-you-do-a-black-character-or-a-female-character-or-an-asian/) [Dwayne McDuffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-mcduffie/) [Browse all 10,057 Racism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? 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