--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think black Americans expect too much…" description: "\"I think black Americans expect too much from individual black Americans in terms of changing the status quo.\" — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-black-americans-expect-too-much_705669.png" --- # I think black Americans expect too much from individual… ![“I think black Americans expect too much from individual black Americans in terms of changing the status quo.” quote by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-black-americans-expect-too-much_705669.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-black-americans-expect-too-much_705669.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-black-americans-expect-too-much_705669.png) > “I think black Americans expect too much from individual black Americans in terms of changing the status quo.” [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests that Black Americans are often expected to bear the burden of societal change individually. **In simple terms:** Black Americans face high expectations for change. Key Takeaway Promote collective responsibility for social progress. Themes race social justice expectations community Mood determined hopeful Type sociopolitical inspirational When to use this quote - policy reform - community organizing - education initiatives Key Concepts systemic inequality activism leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can society share the load of change? - What role should allies play? A Different Perspective Individual expectations can overlook systemic factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-americans/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Status quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status-quo/) ## Related quotes > [I was not allowed to be an individual. I was black and I was a woman - and I was a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shola-lynch/i-was-not-allowed-to-be-an-individual-i-was-black-and-i-was-a-woman/) Shola Lynch > [“Place Yourself On the Scale You Desire.Don't Expect Others To Do It For You. It's An Individual Thing Called SELF-ESTEEM.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/place-yourself-on-the-scale-you-desire-don-t-expect-others-to-do-it/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [I don't think anybody can be held accountable or responsible for anyone's behaviors expect the individual. This goes beyond that particular situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/i-don-t-think-anybody-can-be-held-accountable-or-responsible-for/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do not understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-race-has-been-a-burden-for-black-americans-being-muslim-has/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/in-a-typical-history-book-black-americans-are-mentioned-in-the/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“Regarding faith, my adherence to Islam had not diminished over the years since my conversion, but I had modified it from the intense orthodoxy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/regarding-faith-my-adherence-to-islam-had-not-diminished-over-the/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [ I read that Hollywood wanted to film Fences years ago with a white director, but \[August\] Wilson refused. He thought that the director needed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-read-that-hollywood-wanted-to-film-fences-years-ago-with-a-white/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Americans should expect far more from a president than merely that he not be provably a criminal. They should expect a president to comport…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-t-conway-iii/americans-should-expect-far-more-from-a-president-than-merely-that-he/) [George T. Conway III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-t-conway-iii/) > [When it comes to immigration, I think Americans expect that our immigration process is orderly and it is legal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-it-comes-to-immigration-i-think-americans-expect-that-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Well, Americans expect our president to be human beings, and as imperfect as all of us are. 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Putting people back to work with construction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/there-are-certain-things-that-americans-expect-their-government-to-do/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [What Americans expect from Washington is action that matches the urgency they feel in their daily lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-americans-expect-from-washington-is-action-that-matches-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Americans expect to eat and stay thin, to be constantly on the move and ever more neighborly ... to revere God and be God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/americans-expect-to-eat-and-stay-thin-to-be-constantly-on-the-move/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [The Americans expect great things of me ... If the small Czech nation can have such musicians, they say, why could not they, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-dvorak/the-americans-expect-great-things-of-me-if-the-small-czech-nation-can/) [Antonin Dvorak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-dvorak/) ## More by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar > [I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-saw-islam-as-the-correct-way-to-live-and-i-chose-to-try-to-live/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Justice should be blind especially color-blind and able to fairly deal with the very real need for honest law enforcement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/justice-should-be-blind-especially-color-blind-and-able-to-fairly/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I think Kwame will be an asset to the Lakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-kwame-will-be-an-asset-to-the-lakers/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I think a lot of people, if they get the opportunity to do some acting, they think, 'I might be a star.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-a-lot-of-people-if-they-get-the-opportunity-to-do-some-acting/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [LeBron James can get a shot off under any and all circumstances and he makes them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/lebron-james-can-get-a-shot-off-under-any-and-all-circumstances-and/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [People still cheat on their wives, that hasn't fallen out of fashion. 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Mainstream jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-listen-to-jazz-mainly-mainstream-jazz/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [When a rap song glorifies violence, death and sadness and loss is inflicted because of the violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/when-a-rap-song-glorifies-violence-death-and-sadness-and-loss-is/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [As brilliant an individual that Michael Jordan was, he was not successful until he got with a good team unit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/as-brilliant-an-individual-that-michael-jordan-was-he-was-not/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [If I hadn't become a professional basketball player, I would have become a history teacher. 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