---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Raised by an irresponsible mother during…"
description: "\"Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great Depression in the Jim Crow south, my father was on his own from the age of 13.\" — Larry Elder"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png"
---

#  Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great…

![“Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great Depression in the Jim Crow south, my father was on his own from the age of 13.” quote by Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png)

> “Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great Depression in the Jim Crow south, my father was on his own from the age of 13.”

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A brief account of a father’s early independence due to maternal neglect during the Depression and segregation, underscoring resilience.

**In simple terms:** A father grew up alone early because of a neglectful mother.

Key Takeaway

Recognize strength from adversity.

Themes

family hardship historical context personal resilience socioeconomic struggle racial segregation

Mood

reflective somber

Type

biographical historical

When to use this quote

- Great Depression era
- Jim Crow South
- single parent households
- youth independence

Key Concepts

sociology psychology history

Questions to Reflect On

- How does early hardship shape adult life?
- What support could have changed his path?

A Different Perspective

The statement lacks detail on outcomes and broader impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Great depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-depression/) [Jim crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jim-crow/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [I grew up in the South with my father; blues and country, that's always been my core. But I had it in me not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-marie-presley/i-grew-up-in-the-south-with-my-father-blues-and-country-that-s-always/)

[Lisa Marie Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-marie-presley/)

> [The irresponsible mother helped explain bella's maturity. She'd had to grow up early, to become the caretaker. That's why she didn't like being cared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/the-irresponsible-mother-helped-explain-bella-s-maturity-she-d-had-to/)

[Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/)

> [“I have often pointed out to students that the Jim Crow order had a specific and relatively brief life span. It was not completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-l-reed-jr/i-have-often-pointed-out-to-students-that-the-jim-crow-order-had-a/)

Adolph L. Reed Jr

> [The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-new-jim-crow-mass-incarceration-in-the-age-of-colorblindness/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [Arguably the most important parallel between mass incarceration and Jim Crow is that both have served to define the meaning and significance of race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/arguably-the-most-important-parallel-between-mass-incarceration-and/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [Thurgood Marshall was uniquely able to understand and comprehend what it meant to grow up in the Jim Crow south.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahlia-lithwick/thurgood-marshall-was-uniquely-able-to-understand-and-comprehend-what/)

[Dahlia Lithwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahlia-lithwick/)

> [The black family survived centuries of slavery and generations of Jim Crow, but it has disintegrated in the wake of the liberals' expansion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-black-family-survived-centuries-of-slavery-and-generations-of-jim/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Theoretically, you can make, obviously, a powerful argument that centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination are the primary cause for all those gaps. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/theoretically-you-can-make-obviously-a-powerful-argument-that/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [One of the points in which I was especially interested was the Jim Crow regulations, that is, the system of separation of the races…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stannard-baker/one-of-the-points-in-which-i-was-especially-interested-was-the-jim/)

[Ray Stannard Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stannard-baker/)

> [Michelle Alexander's brave and bold new book paints a haunting picture in which dreary felon garb, post-prison joblessness, and loss of voting rights now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lani-guinier/michelle-alexander-s-brave-and-bold-new-book-paints-a-haunting/)

Lani Guinier

> [The perpetuation of slavery, the exile and extermination of American Indians, and the passage of Jim Crow laws weren't carried out at the bidding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-perpetuation-of-slavery-the-exile-and-extermination-of-american/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [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/)

> [You cannot be responsible for Jim Crow. You can not be responsible for racism. This is much more a problem for the person exercising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/you-cannot-be-responsible-for-jim-crow-you-can-not-be-responsible-for/)

[Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/)

> [Since the nations founding, African Americans repeatedly have been controlled through institutions such as slavery and Jim Crow, which appear to die but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/since-the-nations-founding-african-americans-repeatedly-have-been/)

[Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/)

> [The welfare state has done to Black Americans what slavery (and Jim Crow and racism) could not have done. . .break up the black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/the-welfare-state-has-done-to-black-americans-what-slavery-and-jim/)

[John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/)

## More by Larry Elder

> [My dad was a Marine. He was one of the Montford Point Marines. Those are the equivalent of the Tuskegee Airmen for Marines. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/my-dad-was-a-marine-he-was-one-of-the-montford-point-marines-those/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Optimism. It's not just a mind-set, it is behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/optimism-it-s-not-just-a-mind-set-it-is-behavior/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Good motives aside, white condescension does more damage than good. White condescension says to a black child, 'The rules used by other ethnic groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/good-motives-aside-white-condescension-does-more-damage-than-good/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Individuals can spend their money more wisely, efficiently and more humanely than can government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/individuals-can-spend-their-money-more-wisely-efficiently-and-more/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [According to the Social Security Administration, in 1945, 41.9 workers supported each individual retiree, while today only 3.3 workers support each retiree. This system cannot continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/according-to-the-social-security-administration-in-1945-41-9-workers/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [People value and spend their money more wisely when they acquire it by their own efforts - also known as work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/people-value-and-spend-their-money-more-wisely-when-they-acquire-it/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [In the last 1,000 years, the Arabs have translated as many books as Spain translates in just one year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/in-the-last-1-000-years-the-arabs-have-translated-as-many-books-as/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Raising a child is an on-the-job kind of thing. There aren't a whole lot of manuals for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/raising-a-child-is-an-on-the-job-kind-of-thing-there-aren-t-a-whole/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [But did the Founding Fathers ever intend for the federal government to involve itself in education, health care or retirement benefits? The answer, quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/but-did-the-founding-fathers-ever-intend-for-the-federal-government/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Because Fox News is allegedly biased in favor of conservatives, critics whine like children whose lunch money got snatched. Conservatives have been pummeled for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/because-fox-news-is-allegedly-biased-in-favor-of-conservatives/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [The welfare state is an assault on families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/the-welfare-state-is-an-assault-on-families/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Studies show that children of divorced parents can have outcomes as positive as those coming from intact homes, provided the father remains financially supportive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/studies-show-that-children-of-divorced-parents-can-have-outcomes-as/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [Recall that the United Nations commissioned Arab scholars and analysts to publish the Arab Human Development Report. What causes the backwardness, the scholars wondered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/recall-that-the-united-nations-commissioned-arab-scholars-and/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [People-to-people charity is more efficient, less costly, more human and compassionate, and more likely to inspire change and self-sufficiency in the beneficiary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/people-to-people-charity-is-more-efficient-less-costly-more-human-and/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

> [The No. 1 cause of preventable death for young black men is not auto accidents or accidental drowning, but homicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/the-no-1-cause-of-preventable-death-for-young-black-men-is-not-auto/)

[Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

[Explore all 39 Larry Elder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great Depression in the Jim Crow south, my father was on his own from the age of 13.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Larry Elder"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during-the-great-depression-in-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during-the-great-depression-in-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/larry-elder-16548_age_raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during_3134215.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Raised by an irresponsible mother during the Great Depression in the Jim Crow south, my father was on his…” — Larry Elder",
                "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": "Larry Elder",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Raised by an irresponsible mother during...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during-the-great-depression-in-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/raised-by-an-irresponsible-mother-during-the-great-depression-in-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
