--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No civil rights movement has gotten…" description: "\"No civil rights movement has gotten anywhere without the help of white liberals.\" — Kenya Barris" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg" --- # No civil rights movement has gotten anywhere without the… ![“No civil rights movement has gotten anywhere without the help of white liberals.” quote by Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg) > “No civil rights movement has gotten anywhere without the help of white liberals.” [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Progress in civil rights historically relied on support from white allies, highlighting coalition importance **In simple terms:** Allies are essential for civil rights progress Key Takeaway Build inclusive alliances for change Themes civil rights allies progress Mood critical analytical Type political social When to use this quote - activism - policy reform - community organizing Key Concepts social movements intersectionality solidarity Questions to Reflect On - How can movements ensure genuine allyship? - What safeguards protect against co-optation? A Different Perspective Allies may have ulterior motives or limited commitment ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Civil rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights-movement/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberals/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Movement Gotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement-gotten-1726563/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-movement/) [White Liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-liberals-1059111/) ## Related quotes > [Now liberals compare their every riot, every traffic blockage, every Starbucks-window-smashing street protest to the civil rights movement -- which was only necessary because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/now-liberals-compare-their-every-riot-every-traffic-blockage-every/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Generally, the arguments for same-sex marriage go along these lines: 'I have a civil right.' What the homosexual movement wants to do is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/generally-the-arguments-for-same-sex-marriage-go-along-these-lines-i/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [In the 1960s, the civil rights movement was about getting to know your culture, your history. I know all about my history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afeni-shakur/in-the-1960s-the-civil-rights-movement-was-about-getting-to-know-your/) [Afeni Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afeni-shakur/) > [When I was younger, I had these romantic ideas about the Black Panther Party and what it meant to be a part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/when-i-was-younger-i-had-these-romantic-ideas-about-the-black-panther/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I would want to go back to the civil rights movement and see how that was. With the information and knowledge I have about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-reid/i-would-want-to-go-back-to-the-civil-rights-movement-and-see-how-that/) [Storm Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-reid/) > [What is needed in the world today is a Civil Rights Movement for the Soul, freeing humanity at last from the oppression of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/what-is-needed-in-the-world-today-is-a-civil-rights-movement-for-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [There's no problem on the planet that can't be solved without violence. That's the lesson of the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/there-s-no-problem-on-the-planet-that-can-t-be-solved-without/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I have loved the Department of Justice ever since, as a young boy, I watched Robert Kennedy prove during the Civil Rights Movement how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-have-loved-the-department-of-justice-ever-since-as-a-young-boy-i/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [“A new civil rights movement cannot be organized around the relics of the earlier system of control if it is to address meaningfully the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/a-new-civil-rights-movement-cannot-be-organized-around-the-relics-of/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [I took an interest in the Civil Rights Movement. I listened to Martin Luther King. The Vietnam War was raging. When I was 18,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhanath-swami/i-took-an-interest-in-the-civil-rights-movement-i-listened-to-martin/) [Radhanath Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhanath-swami/) > [LISTEN: If you ever wondered what you would do if you were alive in the Civil Rights Movement, NOW IS THE TIME to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/listen-if-you-ever-wondered-what-you-would-do-if-you-were-alive-in/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) > [I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-don-t-think-the-riots-derailed-the-civil-rights-movement/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [The mainstream sort of presentation of the civil rights movement was not something that I directly inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-mainstream-sort-of-presentation-of-the-civil-rights-movement-was/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Most students graduate from high school knowing nine words about the civil rights movement: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and "I Have a Dream."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/most-students-graduate-from-high-school-knowing-nine-words-about-the/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) ## More by Kenya Barris > [I wanted to do a show about a family that is absolutely black. Because as Du Bois has shown, we do have to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-wanted-to-do-a-show-about-a-family-that-is-absolutely-black-because/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [We're supposed to be becoming more evolved as a society, and we're actually becoming less evolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/we-re-supposed-to-be-becoming-more-evolved-as-a-society-and-we-re/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I consider myself a disciple of Norman Lear. And one of the things he did was topic-driven humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-consider-myself-a-disciple-of-norman-lear-and-one-of-the-things-he/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I want to start really developing more on the film side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-want-to-start-really-developing-more-on-the-film-side/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [And I feel like, as a black man within black culture, I know very well firsthand - as do my parents and my grandparents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/and-i-feel-like-as-a-black-man-within-black-culture-i-know-very-well/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [There's never really been a true apology for slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/there-s-never-really-been-a-true-apology-for-slavery/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I have a 'hope for the best, expect the worst' mentality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-have-a-hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst-mentality/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [For me, one of the big things I really worried about a lot was nuclear war growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/for-me-one-of-the-big-things-i-really-worried-about-a-lot-was-nuclear/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I have five kids, and people can say 'nature versus nurture,' but it is nature! Nurture has so little to do with it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-have-five-kids-and-people-can-say-nature-versus-nurture-but-it-is/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [The acknowledgement and celebration of Juneteenth as an American and possibly international holiday is something that I would put in the life goals column…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/the-acknowledgement-and-celebration-of-juneteenth-as-an-american-and/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [My kids did not know that Obama was the first black president. I felt like I needed to tell them because I felt like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/my-kids-did-not-know-that-obama-was-the-first-black-president-i-felt/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [Writers' rooms are terrifying. You take someone whose never done this before, and this is their life's dream that is about to happen or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/writers-rooms-are-terrifying-you-take-someone-whose-never-done-this/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [ABC has a general policy that you can't show images of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/abc-has-a-general-policy-that-you-can-t-show-images-of-the-world/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [As much as we want to say racism is dead, it's still rearing its ugly head constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/as-much-as-we-want-to-say-racism-is-dead-it-s-still-rearing-its-ugly/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [Everybody - every single person - has a story. Find yours and tell it in your voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/everybody-every-single-person-has-a-story-find-yours-and-tell-it-in/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) [Explore all 81 Kenya Barris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) [Elizabeth Tambascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No civil rights movement has gotten anywhere without the help of white liberals.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kenya Barris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anywhere-without-the-help-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anywhere-without-the-help-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/kenya-barris-8436_civil-rights_no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anyw_954782.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No civil rights movement has gotten anywhere without the help of white liberals.” — Kenya Barris", "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": "Kenya Barris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No civil rights movement has gotten...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anywhere-without-the-help-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/no-civil-rights-movement-has-gotten-anywhere-without-the-help-of/#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 } } ] } ```