--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Black people are experiencing a systemic…" description: "\"Black people are experiencing a systemic disadvantage, and it goes back to slavery, which was not that long ago.\" — Justin Simien" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/justin-simien-4140_back_black-people-are-experiencing-a-systemic_2196136.jpg" --- # Black people are experiencing a systemic disadvantage, and… ![“Black people are experiencing a systemic disadvantage, and it goes back to slavery, which was not that long ago.” quote by Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/justin-simien-4140_back_black-people-are-experiencing-a-systemic_2196136.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/justin-simien-4140_back_black-people-are-experiencing-a-systemic_2196136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/justin-simien-4140_back_black-people-are-experiencing-a-systemic_2196136.jpg) > “Black people are experiencing a systemic disadvantage, and it goes back to slavery, which was not that long ago.” [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historical oppression creates ongoing systemic inequities that affect Black communities today. **In simple terms:** Historical oppression causes current disadvantages. Key Takeaway Address systemic roots of inequality. Themes race history systemic injustice inequality Mood empathetic urgent Type activist educational When to use this quote - education reform - community programs - legal reform - public awareness Key Concepts Structural racism historical trauma social policy Questions to Reflect On - What policies can dismantle systemic bias? - How can history inform present actions? A Different Perspective Change requires confronting uncomfortable histories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Goes Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-slavery-4803844/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-long-678484/) [Systemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/systemic/) [Systemic Disadvantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/systemic-disadvantage-4803845/) ## Related quotes > [Racism is systemic: It's oppression that's built into the laws, legislation, into the way neighborhoods are policed, and into job opportunities and health care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/racism-is-systemic-it-s-oppression-that-s-built-into-the-laws/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I do think that some form of reparations for the descendants of American slavery would go a long way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chatterton-williams/i-do-think-that-some-form-of-reparations-for-the-descendants-of/) [Thomas Chatterton Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chatterton-williams/) > [It was a glorious resurrection, from the tomb of slavery, to the heaven of slavery. My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/it-was-a-glorious-resurrection-from-the-tomb-of-slavery-to-the-heaven/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-out-of-that-hopeless-attempt-has-come-nearly-all-that-we-call/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Slavery was a long slow process of dulling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/slavery-was-a-long-slow-process-of-dulling/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [Slavery is a long slow process of dulling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/slavery-is-a-long-slow-process-of-dulling/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [“Banning the institution of slavery itself long remained only a distant hope in much of Africa and the Middle East, even after it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/banning-the-institution-of-slavery-itself-long-remained-only-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Although slavery has long been a part of human history, American chattel slavery represents a case of human trauma incomparable in scope, duration and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-degruy-leary/although-slavery-has-long-been-a-part-of-human-history-american/) [Joy Degruy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-degruy-leary/) > [Some few, and I am one of them, even wish to God, though at the loss of millions of lives, that the North would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/some-few-and-i-am-one-of-them-even-wish-to-god-though-at-the-loss-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“It was not until the year 1808 that Great Britain abolished the slave trade. Up to that time her judges, sitting upon the bench…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/it-was-not-until-the-year-1808-that-great-britain-abolished-the-slave/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [Some few, & I am one, even wish to God, though at the loss of millions of lives, that the North would proclaim a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/some-few-i-am-one-even-wish-to-god-though-at-the-loss-of-millions-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [ “\[N\]early all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—\[is\] the long terrible story of man trying to find something… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/n-early-all-that-we-call-human-history-money-poverty-ambition-war/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [ “\[A\]ll that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—\[is\] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/a-ll-that-we-call-human-history-money-poverty-ambition-war/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [If I just wanted to put clean, perfect images of black people on the screen for an hour and a half, first of all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/if-i-just-wanted-to-put-clean-perfect-images-of-black-people-on-the/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [The way Hollywood and TV is, black people don't have any choice but to see ourselves in white-dominated television shows and stories and movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/the-way-hollywood-and-tv-is-black-people-don-t-have-any-choice-but-to/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) ## More by Justin Simien > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I thought I was depressed because I wasn't a writer/director. I moved into a space where I'm a writer/director, my movie is a hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-thought-i-was-depressed-because-i-wasn-t-a-writer-director-i-moved/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I saw 'Beauty and the Beast' at eight years old in theatres and spent hours trying to recreate the majestic imagery of that story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-saw-beauty-and-the-beast-at-eight-years-old-in-theatres-and-spent/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I'm very interested in clans and the way people group together, and there's a lot of group shots. There's a lot of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-m-very-interested-in-clans-and-the-way-people-group-together-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [One of the things that I love about Robert Altman's movies is that, really, a Robert Altman movie is just a bunch of short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/one-of-the-things-that-i-love-about-robert-altman-s-movies-is-that/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I am more than a black guy. I am a person, I'm storyteller, I'm a son, I'm a friend, so I am all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-am-more-than-a-black-guy-i-am-a-person-i-m-storyteller-i-m-a-son-i/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [There are a plethora of ways of being black, just like there's many ways to being white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/there-are-a-plethora-of-ways-of-being-black-just-like-there-s-many/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [The way Hollywood and TV is, black people don't have any choice but to see ourselves in white-dominated television shows and stories and movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/the-way-hollywood-and-tv-is-black-people-don-t-have-any-choice-but-to/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [Everybody else was quoting 2Pac, and I was running around with Green Day in my Walkman. Racially speaking, I wasn't cool or appropriate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/everybody-else-was-quoting-2pac-and-i-was-running-around-with-green/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [Self-doubt is a constant companion for a chubby, gay, black boy born in the South.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/self-doubt-is-a-constant-companion-for-a-chubby-gay-black-boy-born-in/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [In the press, there's this desire for the black audience to be this monolithic thing that always responds to the same stars. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/in-the-press-there-s-this-desire-for-the-black-audience-to-be-this/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [It is a fine line between making fun of the right thing and making fun of the wrong thing. 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This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/) [Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/) > [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/) [Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/) > [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. 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