--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I just thought someone has to figure out…" description: "\"I just thought someone has to figure out how to break through that barrier and create a narrative for a black super hero story to unfold at the same sc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/kerry-james-marshall-5157_barriers_i-just-thought-someone-has-to-figure-out_1514810.jpg" --- # I just thought someone has to figure out how to break… ![“I just thought someone has to figure out how to break through that barrier and create a narrative for a black super hero story to unfold at the same scale as something like Star Wars. Rythm Mastr is about producing a narrative of a hero engaged in a struggle as complicated as those other stories…” quote by Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/kerry-james-marshall-5157_barriers_i-just-thought-someone-has-to-figure-out_1514810.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/kerry-james-marshall-5157_barriers_i-just-thought-someone-has-to-figure-out_1514810.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/kerry-james-marshall-5157_barriers_i-just-thought-someone-has-to-figure-out_1514810.jpg) > “I just thought someone has to figure out how to break through that barrier and create a narrative for a black super hero story to unfold at the same scale as something like Star Wars. Rythm Mastr is about producing a narrative of a hero engaged in a struggle as complicated as those other stories. The catalyst for it was the beginning of the demolition of public housing in Chicago.” [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote calls for a Black superhero narrative that matches the cultural impact of franchises like Star Wars, inspired by Chicago's public housing demolition. **In simple terms:** Advocates a major Black superhero story equal to Star Wars, inspired by housing demolition. Key Takeaway Create a blockbuster Black superhero saga. Themes representation heroism culture media urban change Mood aspirational determined Type visionary cultural When to use this quote - film production - publishing - community activism - educational curricula Key Concepts narrative development social impact cinema comic books Questions to Reflect On - How can creators secure resources for such a project? - What stories can resonate across cultures? A Different Perspective May face industry resistance and funding challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-through/) [Catalyst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catalyst/) [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Demolition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demolition/) [Engaged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engaged/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Hero Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero-story/) [Housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing/) [Mastr Producing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastr-producing-5585218/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Narrative Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-black-2925544/) [Narrative Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-hero-5585217/) [Public housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-housing/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Star War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-war/) [Star wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Super hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/super-hero/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I sort of feel like that's the most revolutionary thing we can do with our narrative for me as Black people is to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-sort-of-feel-like-that-s-the-most-revolutionary-thing-we-can-do/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I think there is this narrative that if you are a black woman, and you are strong, and you are educated, it's like, 'Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-orji/i-think-there-is-this-narrative-that-if-you-are-a-black-woman-and-you/) [Yvonne Orji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-orji/) > [Just like in the art museum, and notions of beauty and pleasure, if the hero is always a white guy with a squared jaw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/just-like-in-the-art-museum-and-notions-of-beauty-and-pleasure-if-the/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [When State Way Gardens and The Robert Taylor Homes were being torn down, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to use that as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-state-way-gardens-and-the-robert-taylor-homes-were-being-torn/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [I grew up in a public housing development right across the street from Trump Golf Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-grew-up-in-a-public-housing-development-right-across-the-street/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-we-got-organized-as-a-country-and-we-wrote-a-fairly-radical/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Well, my grandmother, she raised me in public housing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/well-my-grandmother-she-raised-me-in-public-housing/) [London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/) > [When everybody owns something, nobody owns it, and nobody has a direct interest in maintaining or improving its condition. That is why buildings in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-everybody-owns-something-nobody-owns-it-and-nobody-has-a-direct/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I don't know whether it's the finest public housing in America or the crown jewel of the American penal system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-don-t-know-whether-it-s-the-finest-public-housing-in-america-or-the/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“In the 1990s, the Clinton administration experimented with a program called Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing, which gave poor families in public housing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/in-the-1990s-the-clinton-administration-experimented-with-a-program/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [Lots of people have gone from public housing to do great things in the world and have a tremendous sense of duty to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/lots-of-people-have-gone-from-public-housing-to-do-great-things-in/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [I lived in public housing and had to struggle with depression and substance abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-lived-in-public-housing-and-had-to-struggle-with-depression-and/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [By laying the groundwork for a system centered on home ownership rather than the public housing popular in Europe, the New Deal made possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-alter/by-laying-the-groundwork-for-a-system-centered-on-home-ownership/) [Jonathan Alter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-alter/) > [I live in Brick Towers, a public housing project in Newark's Central Ward. I moved in when the projects were privately owned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/i-live-in-brick-towers-a-public-housing-project-in-newark-s-central/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-personal-freedom-s-being-abused-you-have-to-move-to-limit-it/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More by Kerry James Marshall > [There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-art-works-travel-from-place-to-place-what-you-have-is-the/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [I try to make work about things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-try-to-make-work-about-things-that-matter/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [I stumbled upon Charles White purely by chance while looking through a book 'Great Negroes, Past and Present' in the library at Forty-Ninth Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-stumbled-upon-charles-white-purely-by-chance-while-looking-through/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [The lighter the skin, the more acceptable you are. The darker the skin, the more marginalised you become. I want to demonstrate that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/the-lighter-the-skin-the-more-acceptable-you-are-the-darker-the-skin/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [Artwork operates on two different levels: On one level there's artwork as a mode of expressivity, and then there's the other side, where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/artwork-operates-on-two-different-levels-on-one-level-there-s-artwork/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [One of the things I recognized early on, doing whatever studies of black history I have, is that even though black folks were transported…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/one-of-the-things-i-recognized-early-on-doing-whatever-studies-of/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [If you walk into any magazine store, I guarantee that nine out of 10 covers will feature white, blonde, blue-eyed, slim women because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/if-you-walk-into-any-magazine-store-i-guarantee-that-nine-out-of-10/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [For black people who are really dark - and a lot of black people were averse to be dark skinned - it was believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/for-black-people-who-are-really-dark-and-a-lot-of-black-people-were/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [Before people outside of the Western European tradition started asking to be in there, the people who were accumulating objects for the museum were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/before-people-outside-of-the-western-european-tradition-started/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [What I hope 'Mastry' ends up doing is completely undermining or doing away with the notion that artists are a savant: that they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/what-i-hope-mastry-ends-up-doing-is-completely-undermining-or-doing/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [My dream was always to be in museums. It's a big and important milestone and a fulfillment of one of my primary ambitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/my-dream-was-always-to-be-in-museums-it-s-a-big-and-important/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [ In \[Ralph\] Ellison's case, it's more psychological than it is phenomenal, and it's conditioned by anger, animosity, and lack of desire to engage with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/in-ralph-ellison-s-case-it-s-more-psychological-than-it-is-phenomenal/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [When I started, I was aware of using the black as a rhetorical device. It's understanding that black people come in a wide range…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-i-started-i-was-aware-of-using-the-black-as-a-rhetorical-device/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [No one has a right to occupy the privileged position all the time, so it should be contested. It should always be messy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/no-one-has-a-right-to-occupy-the-privileged-position-all-the-time-so/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) [Explore all 103 Kerry James Marshall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) ## More Barriers quotes > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gear you can't afford is not the barrier keeping you from success. Gear has very little to do with photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-jarvis/the-gear-you-can-t-afford-is-not-the-barrier-keeping-you-from-success/) [Chase Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-jarvis/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/the-biggest-obstacles-to-our-progress-exist-within-our-own-lives-in/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Don't be afraid of what you want. This is your time. The barriers are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/don-t-be-afraid-of-what-you-want-this-is-your-time-the-barriers-are/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Fear is the single biggest barrier to creativity. Unless we're brave enough to risk looking foolish, we'll inevitably find ourselves sticking to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/fear-is-the-single-biggest-barrier-to-creativity-unless-we-re-brave/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean to become the ocean. And a drop cannot be greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/what-do-you-have-to-surrender-a-drop-has-to-dissolve-into-the-ocean/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [“One way to generate a precise customer value proposition is to think about the four most common barriers keeping people from getting particular jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-johnson/one-way-to-generate-a-precise-customer-value-proposition-is-to-think/) [Mark W. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-johnson/) [Browse all 1,191 Barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I just thought someone has to figure out how to break through that barrier and create a narrative for a black super hero story to unfold at the same scale as something like Star Wars. Rythm Mastr is about producing a narrative of a hero engaged in a struggle as complicated as those other stories. 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