--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are born with freedom and hope, but…" description: "\"We are born with freedom and hope, but often that's dashed because of our color. But in school, I'd already been taught that no one could tell me that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/louis-gossett-jr-15659_born_we-are-born-with-freedom-and-hope-but-of_1479055.jpg" --- # We are born with freedom and hope, but often that's dashed… ![“We are born with freedom and hope, but often that's dashed because of our color. But in school, I'd already been taught that no one could tell me that you can't do something because you're black.” quote by Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/louis-gossett-jr-15659_born_we-are-born-with-freedom-and-hope-but-of_1479055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/louis-gossett-jr-15659_born_we-are-born-with-freedom-and-hope-but-of_1479055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/louis-gossett-jr-15659_born_we-are-born-with-freedom-and-hope-but-of_1479055.jpg) > “We are born with freedom and hope, but often that's dashed because of our color. But in school, I'd already been taught that no one could tell me that you can't do something because you're black.” [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) ## 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 highlights the tension between inherent freedom and societal constraints imposed by race, emphasizing that education can both reveal and challenge these limits. **In simple terms:** Freedom vs. racial oppression, with education as a catalyst. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge systemic barriers. Themes freedom race education Mood hopeful defiant Type social motivational When to use this quote - activism - school curricula - personal narrative Key Concepts social justice identity empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can education dismantle racial stereotypes? - What personal actions counteract oppression? A Different Perspective Overcoming systemic bias requires collective effort beyond individual resolve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Born Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-freedom-2100641/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-hope-915364/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Tell Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-black-421059/) ## Related quotes > [“Never let anyone tell you, your Black is not beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/never-let-anyone-tell-you-your-black-is-not-beautiful/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) > [“I am a Filipino born to freedom, and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance—for myself and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-p-romulo/i-am-a-filipino-born-to-freedom-and-i-shall-not-rest-until-freedom/) [Carlos P. Romulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-p-romulo/) > [“Who is born in freedom will not surrender his freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/who-is-born-in-freedom-will-not-surrender-his-freedom/) [sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [I never found religion, but was born with freedom That's the one thing I pray will not be takenð](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neon-hitch/i-never-found-religion-but-was-born-with-freedom-that-s-the-one-thing/) [Neon Hitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neon-hitch/) > [The free man must be born before freedom can be won, and the brotherly man must be born before full brotherhood can be won.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-deming/the-free-man-must-be-born-before-freedom-can-be-won-and-the-brotherly/) [Barbara Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-deming/) > [A nation is born into freedom on the day when such a people, moulded into a nation by a process of cultural evolution and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diosdado-macapagal/a-nation-is-born-into-freedom-on-the-day-when-such-a-people-moulded/) [Diosdado Macapagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diosdado-macapagal/) > [All I've ever tried to tell anyone is that I'm not a black man or a white man or anything else. All I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-tell-anyone-is-that-i-m-not-a-black-man-or-a/) [George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/) > [The way black people feel, especially, is if you're going to tell a black story, let it come from a real place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algee-smith/the-way-black-people-feel-especially-is-if-you-re-going-to-tell-a/) [Algee Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algee-smith/) > [We must begin to tell black women's stories because, without them, we cannot tell the story of black men, white men, white women, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/we-must-begin-to-tell-black-women-s-stories-because-without-them-we/) [Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/) > [I don't know what you are unless you tell me what you are if you're gay. When I walk into that room, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-jones/i-don-t-know-what-you-are-unless-you-tell-me-what-you-are-if-you-re/) [Vernon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-jones/) > [I want to be able to tell black people something they don't know, something about our own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-nelson-jr/i-want-to-be-able-to-tell-black-people-something-they-don-t-know/) [Stanley Nelson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-nelson-jr/) > [I just want to tell black stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/i-just-want-to-tell-black-stories/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [What freedom and hope is found in Christ! We don’t need to feel beautiful about ourselves to find happiness! In fact, we’re better off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-mahaney/what-freedom-and-hope-is-found-in-christ-we-don-t-need-to-feel/) [Carolyn Mahaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-mahaney/) > [But slaves that once conceive the glowing thought Of freedom, in that hope itself possess All that the contest calls for; spirit, strength, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-slaves-that-once-conceive-the-glowing-thought-of-freedom-in-that/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“In the telling, we become what God created us to be --- women of freedom, of hope, pointing others to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-fore/in-the-telling-we-become-what-god-created-us-to-be-women-of-freedom/) [Jo Ann Fore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-fore/) ## More by Louis Gossett, Jr > [George Clooney and Brad Pitt, with those 'Oceans' films they do, they get to work together, make a whole lot of money, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/george-clooney-and-brad-pitt-with-those-oceans-films-they-do-they-get/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [There are beautiful words in the Bible and in our pledges and the Declaration of Independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/there-are-beautiful-words-in-the-bible-and-in-our-pledges-and-the/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [I think God asks us to promise to replenish the planet and to pay 100% attention to our young so that they will develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/i-think-god-asks-us-to-promise-to-replenish-the-planet-and-to-pay-100/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [The two lines from 'Roots' that stick out to me are, 'You no more in Africa. You in America now,' and what I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/the-two-lines-from-roots-that-stick-out-to-me-are-you-no-more-in/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [Sometimes I believe that the reason I have been able to do such exemplary work on the screen is because this is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/sometimes-i-believe-that-the-reason-i-have-been-able-to-do-such/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [I am so grateful that the public has given me this gift. They look at me as a person - not as a race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/i-am-so-grateful-that-the-public-has-given-me-this-gift-they-look-at/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [I was president of the schools in junior high and high school, got a scholarship to New York University, played a little basketball, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/i-was-president-of-the-schools-in-junior-high-and-high-school-got-a/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [My father's best friend, Georgie Terra, was an Italian guy. The children and the cousins and nieces and nephews were children of the Mafia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/my-father-s-best-friend-georgie-terra-was-an-italian-guy-the-children/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [The Lord may not come when you want Him, but he's always going to be there on time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/the-lord-may-not-come-when-you-want-him-but-he-s-always-going-to-be/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [My father was adopted. He grew up in the Italian household.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/my-father-was-adopted-he-grew-up-in-the-italian-household/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [One family, one nation, indivisible. That mentality is essential for our salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/one-family-one-nation-indivisible-that-mentality-is-essential-for-our/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [You never know when what you do in the arts means something to people, and you never really know if you've been received well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/you-never-know-when-what-you-do-in-the-arts-means-something-to-people/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [If a role isn't different, it's not worth doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/if-a-role-isn-t-different-it-s-not-worth-doing/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [Working on the ABC movie 'Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige,'' which we filmed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was a special pleasure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/working-on-the-abc-movie-don-t-look-back-the-story-of-leroy-satchel/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [When I'm offered a role, I look at what I think I can do with it. I look to see if I can project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/when-i-m-offered-a-role-i-look-at-what-i-think-i-can-do-with-it-i/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) [Explore all 42 Louis Gossett, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) [Frank B. 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I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) [Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are born with freedom and hope, but often that's dashed because of our color. 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