--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back in 1978, when I was still in high…" description: "\"Back in 1978, when I was still in high school, I went to see a Broadway show, 'Paul Robeson,' starring James Earl Jones. It was all about Robeson's jou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41c/laurence-fishburne-3533_broadway-show_back-in-1978-when-i-was-still-in-high-sc_1852728.jpg" --- # Back in 1978, when I was still in high school, I went to… ![“Back in 1978, when I was still in high school, I went to see a Broadway show, 'Paul Robeson,' starring James Earl Jones. It was all about Robeson's journey as a human being, an artist, a champion of civil rights. Had I not seen the play, I might not have known who Robeson was. I was certainly…” quote by Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41c/laurence-fishburne-3533_broadway-show_back-in-1978-when-i-was-still-in-high-sc_1852728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41c/laurence-fishburne-3533_broadway-show_back-in-1978-when-i-was-still-in-high-sc_1852728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41c/laurence-fishburne-3533_broadway-show_back-in-1978-when-i-was-still-in-high-sc_1852728.jpg) > “Back in 1978, when I was still in high school, I went to see a Broadway show, 'Paul Robeson,' starring James Earl Jones. It was all about Robeson's journey as a human being, an artist, a champion of civil rights. Had I not seen the play, I might not have known who Robeson was. I was certainly never taught about him in school.” [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal encounters with art can reveal hidden histories and inspire learning. **In simple terms:** Art can teach what schools miss. Key Takeaway Seek diverse cultural experiences. Themes education culture history Mood inspired reflective Type personal educational When to use this quote - school curriculum - museum visits - theatre attendance - community workshops Key Concepts self‑directed learning civic awareness Questions to Reflect On - What art has changed your perspective? - How can schools incorporate more diverse histories? A Different Perspective Access to such experiences may be limited by resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broadway show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway-show/) [Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I fell in love with the legend of Paul Robeson as a kid. My dad would tell me all these amazing stories about his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-fell-in-love-with-the-legend-of-paul-robeson-as-a-kid-my-dad-would/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [Paul Robeson once said that the artist has the responsibility to either help liberate the community or further oppress it. And I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/paul-robeson-once-said-that-the-artist-has-the-responsibility-to/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [Paul Robeson was an athlete, Rutgers valedictorian, lawyer, writer, actor in movies and plays, great voice - a black male doing it all, back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhani-jones/paul-robeson-was-an-athlete-rutgers-valedictorian-lawyer-writer-actor/) [Dhani Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhani-jones/) > [“In Russia I felt for the first time like a full human being – no colour prejudice like in Mississippi, no colour prejudice like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-robeson/in-russia-i-felt-for-the-first-time-like-a-full-human-being-no-colour/) [Paul Robeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-robeson/) > [I think that in his 39 short years of life, Malcolm X came to symbolize Black urban America, its culture, its politics, its militancy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manning-marable/i-think-that-in-his-39-short-years-of-life-malcolm-x-came-to/) [Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manning-marable/) > [My father was a painter. There was a lot of singing. We hung around with a lot of folk musicians. My family knew a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/my-father-was-a-painter-there-was-a-lot-of-singing-we-hung-around/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [There never has been a desire on the part of the government that the struggle of Black people in America should be linked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/there-never-has-been-a-desire-on-the-part-of-the-government-that-the/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“Coincidentally the couple who had endowed it had lived in her parents’ building. They had had an eight-year-old with a pretty singing voice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/coincidentally-the-couple-who-had-endowed-it-had-lived-in-her-parents/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Early on I saw the plastic quality in colored people and had friends among them; and later was to work from colored models and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-epstein/early-on-i-saw-the-plastic-quality-in-colored-people-and-had-friends/) [Jacob Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-epstein/) > [“I named you Fauna because I loved Robinson Jeffers’ poem about Flora and Fauna. I asked that they keep that name. I wanted only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fauna-hodel/i-named-you-fauna-because-i-loved-robinson-jeffers-poem-about-flora/) Fauna Hodel > [I was occasionally getting calls for some things. But I would say, 22 to 29 was a lot of scuffling. Hoping to get called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-was-occasionally-getting-calls-for-some-things-but-i-would-say-22/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Some of my best friends have written Broadway shows. Allee Willis and Brenda Russell wrote The Color Purple which has been recently revived on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-koz/some-of-my-best-friends-have-written-broadway-shows-allee-willis-and/) [Dave Koz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-koz/) > [I am always in much better shape when I am doing a Broadway show because you have the eight shows a week to kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-krakowski/i-am-always-in-much-better-shape-when-i-am-doing-a-broadway-show/) [Jane Krakowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-krakowski/) > [I've grown up watching and admiring Norm. Sherie actually starred in the first off-Broadway show I ever saw in New York, which was The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/i-ve-grown-up-watching-and-admiring-norm-sherie-actually-starred-in/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [All of a sudden, I was a young kid in my early 20s, and I had a couple of Broadway shows to my credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tenney/all-of-a-sudden-i-was-a-young-kid-in-my-early-20s-and-i-had-a-couple/) [Jon Tenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tenney/) ## More by Laurence Fishburne > [There's a lot of stuff that's not good that's touted as being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-that-s-not-good-that-s-touted-as-being-good/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [I've been around long enough now and have learned to be flexible enough to know that every movie isn't going to be Apocalypse Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/i-ve-been-around-long-enough-now-and-have-learned-to-be-flexible/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [It's funny, a lot of people think I take myself seriously because I come off so serious sometimes. But it's not that I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/it-s-funny-a-lot-of-people-think-i-take-myself-seriously-because-i/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [Some characters need to be more performance-orientated; some, you have to be still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/some-characters-need-to-be-more-performance-orientated-some-you-have/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [After 'Othello,' it was, like, 'I can stop acting. I have played one of the great characters in the English language. I feel I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/after-othello-it-was-like-i-can-stop-acting-i-have-played-one-of-the/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [I've been a fan of Mads since the “Casino Royale” movie. I really sat up and paid attention to him. I was like, “Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/i-ve-been-a-fan-of-mads-since-the-casino-royale-movie-i-really-sat-up/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [Blacks have been in the position of having to rebel since day one. It's only natural. Black people are the lowest on the totem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/blacks-have-been-in-the-position-of-having-to-rebel-since-day-one-it/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [As a man of colour, I've spent my life asking people to see me for who I am. With Obama in the White House,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/as-a-man-of-colour-i-ve-spent-my-life-asking-people-to-see-me-for-who/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [It's nice to get the feedback from a theater audience. It's a gas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/it-s-nice-to-get-the-feedback-from-a-theater-audience-it-s-a-gas/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [Projects don't need to be special for me to sign up, but I do need them to have something that speaks to me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/projects-don-t-need-to-be-special-for-me-to-sign-up-but-i-do-need/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [I certainly believe that being in contact with one's spirit and nurturing one's spirit is as important as nurturing one's body and mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/i-certainly-believe-that-being-in-contact-with-one-s-spirit-and/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [As a movie star, you get good tables at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/as-a-movie-star-you-get-good-tables-at-restaurants/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [As an actor, Coppola trained me. That was my training ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/as-an-actor-coppola-trained-me-that-was-my-training-ground/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [Doing theater makes you feel like a real actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/doing-theater-makes-you-feel-like-a-real-actor/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) > [The 50s are the age of elegance. That's kind of my intention when I get dressed: casual elegance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/the-50s-are-the-age-of-elegance-that-s-kind-of-my-intention-when-i/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) [Explore all 128 Laurence Fishburne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) ## More Broadway show quotes > [All of a sudden, I was a young kid in my early 20s, and I had a couple of Broadway shows to my credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tenney/all-of-a-sudden-i-was-a-young-kid-in-my-early-20s-and-i-had-a-couple/) [Jon Tenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tenney/) > [I've grown up watching and admiring Norm. Sherie actually starred in the first off-Broadway show I ever saw in New York, which was The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/i-ve-grown-up-watching-and-admiring-norm-sherie-actually-starred-in/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [I am always in much better shape when I am doing a Broadway show because you have the eight shows a week to kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-krakowski/i-am-always-in-much-better-shape-when-i-am-doing-a-broadway-show/) [Jane Krakowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-krakowski/) > [Some of my best friends have written Broadway shows. Allee Willis and Brenda Russell wrote The Color Purple which has been recently revived on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-koz/some-of-my-best-friends-have-written-broadway-shows-allee-willis-and/) [Dave Koz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-koz/) > [I was occasionally getting calls for some things. But I would say, 22 to 29 was a lot of scuffling. Hoping to get called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-was-occasionally-getting-calls-for-some-things-but-i-would-say-22/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Not really but I did end up auditioning for a Broadway show. It's kind of a sad story - I did go through a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bailey/not-really-but-i-did-end-up-auditioning-for-a-broadway-show-it-s-kind/) [Candace Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bailey/) > [I was in my last year in high school when I began to think of becoming a dancer. I had never seen a Broadway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-kelly/i-was-in-my-last-year-in-high-school-when-i-began-to-think-of/) [Paula Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-kelly/) > [All the way on the West Coast, never having seen a Broadway show, it was like, 'They don't want me. There's nothing there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daveed-diggs/all-the-way-on-the-west-coast-never-having-seen-a-broadway-show-it/) [Daveed Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daveed-diggs/) > [The first Broadway show that I ever saw was 'Kiss Me, Kate.' I was in New York, on a school trip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-escola/the-first-broadway-show-that-i-ever-saw-was-kiss-me-kate-i-was-in-new/) [Cole Escola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-escola/) > [ “Let us roam then, you and I, When the evening is splayed out across the sky \[...\] Paths that follow like a nagging accusation… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-n-beard/let-us-roam-then-you-and-i-when-the-evening-is-splayed-out-across-the/) [Henry N. Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-n-beard/) > [I remember the first time I saw a Broadway show and how excited I was. That really fuels me and for some, it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-jacobs/i-remember-the-first-time-i-saw-a-broadway-show-and-how-excited-i-was/) [Adam Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-jacobs/) > [I didn't have an agent until I got 'Hairspray.' I had to get a Broadway show without an agent to get an agent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-rannells/i-didn-t-have-an-agent-until-i-got-hairspray-i-had-to-get-a-broadway/) [Andrew Rannells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-rannells/) > [Broadway shows in New York draw two times the attendance of all New York sports teams put together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/broadway-shows-in-new-york-draw-two-times-the-attendance-of-all-new/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [Ive been to London twice. I saw the Broadway show Billy Elliot there - phenomenal. I was crying through the entire thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olesya-rulin/ive-been-to-london-twice-i-saw-the-broadway-show-billy-elliot-there/) [Olesya Rulin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olesya-rulin/) > [When I was on Broadway, my most recent Broadway show was 'Spring Awakening,' and every night I did a topless scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/when-i-was-on-broadway-my-most-recent-broadway-show-was-spring/) [Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/) [Browse all 148 Broadway show quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway-show/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back in 1978, when I was still in high school, I went to see a Broadway show, 'Paul Robeson,' starring James Earl Jones. It was all about Robeson's journey as a human being, an artist, a champion of civil rights. Had I not seen the play, I might not have known who Robeson was. 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