--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's called 'Dear White People,' but…" description: "\"It's called 'Dear White People,' but really, it's about these black characters and how they are involved or not involved in a racial scandal in ways th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg" --- # It's called 'Dear White People,' but really, it's about… ![“It's called 'Dear White People,' but really, it's about these black characters and how they are involved or not involved in a racial scandal in ways that might surprise them and others, right?” quote by Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg) > “It's called 'Dear White People,' but really, it's about these black characters and how they are involved or not involved in a racial scandal in ways that might surprise them and others, right?” [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. The show highlights Black experiences within a predominantly white‑focused narrative, revealing unexpected racial dynamics. **In simple terms:** Black stories intersect. Key Takeaway Observe hidden narratives. Themes race media representation Mood critical engaging Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - film analysis - diversity training - social activism - media critique Key Concepts sociology film studies Questions to Reflect On - How does representation affect perception? - What surprises arise when perspectives shift? A Different Perspective Audience may miss subtle themes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-characters-446645/) [Characters Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-involved-1278612/) [Dear White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-white-276358/) [Involved Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/involved-racial-360805/) [Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racial Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-scandal-3982771/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [The media loves nothing more than when there is a racial scandal or something. Racism, bigotry, these are just such hot button issues, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rocker/the-media-loves-nothing-more-than-when-there-is-a-racial-scandal-or/) [John Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rocker/) > [I think 'Dear White People,' the show, is a tremendous artistic achievement. It's always hinting that there is something beyond the pleading and wokeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-think-dear-white-people-the-show-is-a-tremendous-artistic/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [People look to 'Dear White People' as an encyclopedia of our culture. But it's also art, and there are characters with different perspectives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-browning/people-look-to-dear-white-people-as-an-encyclopedia-of-our-culture/) [Logan Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-browning/) > [I don't want to get involved in the racial situation at the expense of losing fans. I wouldn't say anything too strong but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-mansfield/i-don-t-want-to-get-involved-in-the-racial-situation-at-the-expense/) [Jayne Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-mansfield/) > [It occurred to me that by naming the film itself 'Dear White People,' I could tap into the burgeoning meme culture as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-occurred-to-me-that-by-naming-the-film-itself-dear-white-people-i/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I know it's 'Dear White People,' and you can imprint all kinds of concessions about what the show might be about on the title,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-know-it-s-dear-white-people-and-you-can-imprint-all-kinds-of/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [To be true to life, a novel must have an ending that is inevitable given the specific personalities of the characters involved. The novelist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/to-be-true-to-life-a-novel-must-have-an-ending-that-is-inevitable/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I definitely have fun commenting on the real world and interpreting through the 'Dear White People' lens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-definitely-have-fun-commenting-on-the-real-world-and-interpreting/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I've always thought that 'Dear White People' should live on as a TV show, so I'll leave it at that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-ve-always-thought-that-dear-white-people-should-live-on-as-a-tv/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [This film isn't about "white racism", or racism at all. DEAR WHITE PEOPLE is about identity. It's about the difference between how the mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/this-film-isn-t-about-white-racism-or-racism-at-all-dear-white-people/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [“The importance of a story doesn't merely lie in the development of its plot and the characters involved in it, but in its exploration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gulzar/the-importance-of-a-story-doesn-t-merely-lie-in-the-development-of/) [Gulzar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gulzar/) > [All my life I've been involved with racial politics. I was a Freedom Rider in the South. I was the author of books on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/all-my-life-i-ve-been-involved-with-racial-politics-i-was-a-freedom/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > ['Dear White People' started a conversation about race. It's such a difficult thing to talk about, especially in America because of our history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-thompson/dear-white-people-started-a-conversation-about-race-it-s-such-a/) [Tessa Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-thompson/) > [Dear White Fella When I am born I’m black When I grow up I’m black When I am sick I’m black When I go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/dear-white-fella-when-i-am-born-i-m-black-when-i-grow-up-i-m-black/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“O dear white children casual as birds, Playing among the ruined languages, So small beside their large confusing words, So gay against the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/o-dear-white-children-casual-as-birds-playing-among-the-ruined/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) ## 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. And the language oftentimes is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-is-a-fine-line-between-making-fun-of-the-right-thing-and-making/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [Hip-hop isn't dead by any means, but it's not something I define my black identity with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/hip-hop-isn-t-dead-by-any-means-but-it-s-not-something-i-define-my/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [I took an internship at Focus Features while I was in film school. I was really interested in how specialty movies were marketed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-took-an-internship-at-focus-features-while-i-was-in-film-school-i/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [Racism is wrong, racism is very dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/racism-is-wrong-racism-is-very-dangerous/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) [Explore all 115 Justin Simien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's called 'Dear White People,' but really, it's about these black characters and how they are involved or not involved in a racial scandal in ways that might surprise them and others, right?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Justin Simien" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really-it-s-about-these-black/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really-it-s-about-these-black/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac9/justin-simien-4140_black_it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really_2879398.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's called 'Dear White People,' but really, it's about these black characters and how they are involved or…” — Justin Simien", "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": "Justin Simien", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's called 'Dear White People,' but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really-it-s-about-these-black/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/it-s-called-dear-white-people-but-really-it-s-about-these-black/#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 } } ] } ```