--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think race has been a burden for black…" description: "\"I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do not understand Islam.\" — Kareem Ab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-race-has-been-a-burden-for-black_2654494.png" --- # I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being… ![“I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do not understand Islam.” quote by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-race-has-been-a-burden-for-black_2654494.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-race-has-been-a-burden-for-black_2654494.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1909_black_i-think-race-has-been-a-burden-for-black_2654494.png) > “I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do not understand Islam.” [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. Being Black and Muslim creates compounded challenges due to misunderstanding. **In simple terms:** Dual identity faces extra hurdles. Key Takeaway Advocate for understanding. Themes identity race religion Mood determined hopeful Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - workplace - school - community events - media representation Key Concepts intersectionality social stigma Questions to Reflect On - How can allies support intersecting identities? - What misconceptions can you help correct? A Different Perspective Overcoming prejudice requires systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-americans/) [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Muslim Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslim-challenge-2376283/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-burden-2376282/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Think Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-race-539549/) ## Related quotes > [To never think about race means that it doesn't really shape your life, or more specifically, the race that you have is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/to-never-think-about-race-means-that-it-doesn-t-really-shape-your/) [Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/) > [ 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/) > [I think black Americans expect too much from individual black Americans in terms of changing the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-black-americans-expect-too-much-from-individual-black/) [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/) > [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/) > [I ask the clergy why don't I see myself represented in leadership? And I'm told, and this happens quite a bit, "We don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-ask-the-clergy-why-don-t-i-see-myself-represented-in-leadership-and/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Who knows what Yale thought it was getting when it hired Richard Rodriguez? The people who offered me the job thought there was nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/who-knows-what-yale-thought-it-was-getting-when-it-hired-richard/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [As stressful as it can be trying to plan out your moves and think about the race, I think I do better when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-stenhouse-jr/as-stressful-as-it-can-be-trying-to-plan-out-your-moves-and-think/) [Ricky Stenhouse Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-stenhouse-jr/) > [I love doing things that are titillating. I think race can be very funny, and I think I'm very comfortable discussing it and bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapaport/i-love-doing-things-that-are-titillating-i-think-race-can-be-very/) [Michael Rapaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapaport/) > [Most people don't think about race as much as I do. They don't have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/most-people-don-t-think-about-race-as-much-as-i-do-they-don-t-have-to/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [I would think black people think everything is about race. They are the ones who are on the outside of the game. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-would-think-black-people-think-everything-is-about-race-they-are/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I think the music defends myself. I don't think anyone should put a race on any genre. It's just a way of expressing yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murda-beatz/i-think-the-music-defends-myself-i-don-t-think-anyone-should-put-a/) [Murda Beatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murda-beatz/) > [I think race in America is a huge one. That's something that needs to be confronted, certainly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/i-think-race-in-america-is-a-huge-one-that-s-something-that-needs-to/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [When I go back home now, when I go back to Nigeria now, I get off the plane in Lagos and I just don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/when-i-go-back-home-now-when-i-go-back-to-nigeria-now-i-get-off-the/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“What neither Warren nor most of the rest of us recognized was that segregation was not, as Nirej Sekhorn put it, simply a "taint"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-bell/what-neither-warren-nor-most-of-the-rest-of-us-recognized-was-that/) [Derrick Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-bell/) ## 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. We all speak of it badly, but it has not fallen out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/people-still-cheat-on-their-wives-that-hasn-t-fallen-out-of-fashion/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [If not shown appreciation, it gets to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/if-not-shown-appreciation-it-gets-to-you/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Yoga is somewhat hard to quantify in terms of benefits because you see them in all the injuries you don't get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/yoga-is-somewhat-hard-to-quantify-in-terms-of-benefits-because-you/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“The person who has some awareness of the past knows how to fashion a rudder and which direction land is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/the-person-who-has-some-awareness-of-the-past-knows-how-to-fashion-a/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [ Common decency demands that \[NCAA athletes\] should be paid, but the only way it will happen is the same way workers got paid throughout… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/common-decency-demands-that-ncaa-athletes-should-be-paid-but-the-only/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Your mind is what makes everything else work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/your-mind-is-what-makes-everything-else-work/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I listen to jazz mainly. 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. There's so much to learn from history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/if-i-hadn-t-become-a-professional-basketball-player-i-would-have/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) [Explore all 199 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) ## 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": "I think race has been a burden for black Americans. 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