--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Progress has always been understood to be…" description: "\"Progress has always been understood to be driven by exceptional white men. Whether it's the military victories we've achieved, the philosophical founda..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg" --- # Progress has always been understood to be driven by… ![“Progress has always been understood to be driven by exceptional white men. Whether it's the military victories we've achieved, the philosophical foundations that are the underpinnings of the nation, or our economic ingenuity, all this has been articulated through narratives of exceptional white men.” quote by Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg) > “Progress has always been understood to be driven by exceptional white men. Whether it's the military victories we've achieved, the philosophical foundations that are the underpinnings of the nation, or our economic ingenuity, all this has been articulated through narratives of exceptional white men.” [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 critiques the narrative that attributes societal progress solely to exceptional white men, highlighting exclusion of other groups. **In simple terms:** It challenges the idea that only white men drive progress. Key Takeaway Recognize diverse contributions to history. Themes history race recognition power narratives Mood critical reflective Type analytical social commentary When to use this quote - education curricula - museum exhibitions - public discourse - policy making Key Concepts colonialism systemic bias representation Questions to Reflect On - Who else has shaped our world? - How can we broaden historical narratives? A Different Perspective It overlooks contributions of women and people of color. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieved Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieved-philosophical-5695462/) [Exceptional White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exceptional-white-5695463/) [Ingenuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Narratives Exceptional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narratives-exceptional-5695464/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progress Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-understood-5695461/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [White Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-men/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [There is one God, and He made both Indians and white men. We were all made out of the dust of the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/standing-bear/there-is-one-god-and-he-made-both-indians-and-white-men-we-were-all/) [Standing Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/standing-bear/) > [The journey of making 'Hidden Figures' has shown me the automatic privilege that all white men are afforded in America in 2017 and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-melfi/the-journey-of-making-hidden-figures-has-shown-me-the-automatic/) [Theodore Melfi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-melfi/) > [“Before our white brothers came to civilize us we had no jails. Therefore we had no criminals. You can't have criminals without a jail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lame-deer/before-our-white-brothers-came-to-civilize-us-we-had-no-jails/) [John Lame Deer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lame-deer/) > [“We are becoming like the mound of earth that rises from the waters of the Moonshell. All around us the white men swirl, taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-grace-whitson/we-are-becoming-like-the-mound-of-earth-that-rises-from-the-waters-of/) [Stephanie Grace Whitson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-grace-whitson/) > [Golf is a game where white men can dress up as black pimps and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/golf-is-a-game-where-white-men-can-dress-up-as-black-pimps-and-get/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [“One comes across white men occasionally who suffer under the delusion that China is not a civilized country. Such men have forgotten what constitutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/one-comes-across-white-men-occasionally-who-suffer-under-the-delusion/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I have asked some of the great white chiefs where they get their authority to say to the Indian that he shall stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/i-have-asked-some-of-the-great-white-chiefs-where-they-get-their/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [For the most part, it's straight white men running these labels and publishing companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/for-the-most-part-it-s-straight-white-men-running-these-labels-and/) [Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/) > [A lot of white men in the music industry are promoting and participating in black culture in a way that is pretty careless. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelela/a-lot-of-white-men-in-the-music-industry-are-promoting-and/) [Kelela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelela/) > [I would give up everything rather than have the blood of white men upon the hands of my people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/i-would-give-up-everything-rather-than-have-the-blood-of-white-men/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [If there's one thing white men have never had a problem with in this clubby, white marble enclave of Washington, it's getting pulled up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/if-there-s-one-thing-white-men-have-never-had-a-problem-with-in-this/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [This book, 'Stupid White Men,' has sold now over four million copies worldwide. Probably about half of that may be in the U.S. and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/this-book-stupid-white-men-has-sold-now-over-four-million-copies/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Going to Columbia, the first thing I learned was 'safe space.' Every problem, they explained us, is because of white men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/going-to-columbia-the-first-thing-i-learned-was-safe-space-every/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [“We who are white men can't change who we are. But we could do worse than to follow what I took that summer as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/we-who-are-white-men-can-t-change-who-we-are-but-we-could-do-worse/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) ## 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 Ingenuity quotes > [It's still possible to savor the remarkable foods that millennia of human ingenuity have teased from milk. A sip of milk itself or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-mcgee/it-s-still-possible-to-savor-the-remarkable-foods-that-millennia-of/) [Harold McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-mcgee/) > [Perhaps a creature of so much ingenuity and deep memory is almost bound to grow alienated from his world, his fellows, and the objects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/perhaps-a-creature-of-so-much-ingenuity-and-deep-memory-is-almost/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [Human ingenuity has given centuries to the goal of ensuring that the human body might move around at an even 68 degrees all year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-morrow/human-ingenuity-has-given-centuries-to-the-goal-of-ensuring-that-the/) [Lance Morrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-morrow/) > [Ultimately, of course, you must decide for yourself whether the subjective psychological effects created by your evolved cognitive biases reflect an objective reality, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-bering/ultimately-of-course-you-must-decide-for-yourself-whether-the/) [Jesse Bering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-bering/) > [The founder of any branch must be more ingenious than the common man. However, if his achievement is not carried on by disciples of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-founder-of-any-branch-must-be-more-ingenious-than-the-common-man/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [By making college more affordable for all and more accessible for minority students, the first new higher education authorizing legislation in a decade will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/by-making-college-more-affordable-for-all-and-more-accessible-for/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [With electricity we were wired into a new world, for electricity brought the radio, a "crystal set" and with enough ingenuity, one could tickle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-electricity-we-were-wired-into-a-new-world-for-electricity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must make the building of a free society once more an intellectual adventure, a deed of courage… Unless we can make the philosophic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/we-must-make-the-building-of-a-free-society-once-more-an-intellectual/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Lots of ingenuity gets you through times with no money better than money gets you through times of no ingenuity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/lots-of-ingenuity-gets-you-through-times-with-no-money-better-than/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [If you are going to have to play defense all the time, you cannot have the kind of ingenuity, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlen-specter/if-you-are-going-to-have-to-play-defense-all-the-time-you-cannot-have/) [Arlen Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlen-specter/) > [Man is an animal with primary instincts of survival. Consequently his ingenuity has developed first and his soul afterwards. The progress of science is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/man-is-an-animal-with-primary-instincts-of-survival-consequently-his/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [Lacking its own ingenuity, the parasite fears the visionary. What it cannot plagiarize, it seeks to censor. What it cannot regulate, it seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ryan/lacking-its-own-ingenuity-the-parasite-fears-the-visionary-what-it/) [Andrew Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ryan/) > [The peril of every fine faculty is the delight of playing with it for pride. Talent is commonly developed at the expense of character,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-peril-of-every-fine-faculty-is-the-delight-of-playing-with-it-for/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > […it cannot be called ingenuity to kill one's fellow citizens, to betray friends, to be without faith, without mercy, without religion; by these means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/it-cannot-be-called-ingenuity-to-kill-one-s-fellow-citizens-to-betray/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [It may well be doubted whether human ingenuity can construct an enigma... which human ingenuity may not, by proper application, resolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/it-may-well-be-doubted-whether-human-ingenuity-can-construct-an/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) [Browse all 348 Ingenuity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Progress has always been understood to be driven by exceptional white men. Whether it's the military victories we've achieved, the philosophical foundations that are the underpinnings of the nation, or our economic ingenuity, all this has been articulated through narratives of exceptional white men.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kerry James Marshall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/progress-has-always-been-understood-to-be-driven-by-exceptional-white/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ingenuity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/progress-has-always-been-understood-to-be-driven-by-exceptional-white/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/kerry-james-marshall-5157_ingenuity_progress-has-always-been-understood-to-b_1533410.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Progress has always been understood to be driven by exceptional white men. Whether it's the military…” — Kerry James Marshall", "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": "Kerry James Marshall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Progress has always been understood to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/progress-has-always-been-understood-to-be-driven-by-exceptional-white/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/progress-has-always-been-understood-to-be-driven-by-exceptional-white/#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 } } ] } ```