--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If, if a white man puts his arm around me…" description: "\"If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg" --- # If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily… ![“If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.” quote by Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg) > “If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.” [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True solidarity cannot be forced; genuine brotherhood arises from voluntary mutual respect, not coercion or pretense. **In simple terms:** Real brotherhood is voluntary, not forced. Key Takeaway Seek authentic connections, not forced alliances. Themes e justice authenticity Mood reflective serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - community building - activism - interpersonal relationships - conflict resolution Key Concepts Civil rights power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine solidarity from performative allyship? - What actions build authentic trust? A Different Perspective Forced gestures may appear friendly but lack true trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) ## Related quotes > [If a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me-voluntarily-that-s-brotherhood-2/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [If a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me-voluntarily-that-s-brotherhood/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I gladly, I voluntarily gave up the kind of commercial film career I had going as soon as I had enough money to finance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/i-gladly-i-voluntarily-gave-up-the-kind-of-commercial-film-career-i/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [“We should never voluntarily give up our moments of happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-lyons/we-should-never-voluntarily-give-up-our-moments-of-happiness/) [Lucy Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-lyons/) > [A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/a-hero-is-somebody-who-voluntarily-walks-into-the-unknown/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [“But I am so voluntarily, and therefore I am not destitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/but-i-am-so-voluntarily-and-therefore-i-am-not-destitute/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Nobody will leave any place unless they're forced out. That's the nature of humans. Once you're there, you're there. I've never seen anybody get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/nobody-will-leave-any-place-unless-they-re-forced-out-that-s-the/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [Give voluntarily. When we catch a vision of God's grace, we will give beyond our duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/give-voluntarily-when-we-catch-a-vision-of-god-s-grace-we-will-give/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“Is one to die voluntarily or to hope in spite of everything?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/is-one-to-die-voluntarily-or-to-hope-in-spite-of-everything/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Come with me now voluntarily, or I will throw your sexy ass over my shoulder and take you by force. Is that what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-lennox/come-with-me-now-voluntarily-or-i-will-throw-your-sexy-ass-over-my/) [Lucy Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-lennox/) > [No one should voluntarily remain in an environment which prevents his development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/no-one-should-voluntarily-remain-in-an-environment-which-prevents-his/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“With age I have voluntarily chosen certain limitations. I don't have the energy to start over again. To learn new skills or fight my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-h-eg/with-age-i-have-voluntarily-chosen-certain-limitations-i-don-t-have/) [Peter Høeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-h-eg/) > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Negotiation is often described as the art of letting the other side have your way. You have to give the other side a chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/negotiation-is-often-described-as-the-art-of-letting-the-other-side/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) > [Only when he voluntarily chooses that which he inexorably must do, has man any free will at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-when-he-voluntarily-chooses-that-which-he-inexorably-must-do-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Malcolm X > [If Christianity had asserted itself in Germany, six million Jews would have lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-christianity-had-asserted-itself-in-germany-six-million-jews-would/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Be nonviolent only with those who are nonviolent to you. And when you can bring me a nonviolent racist, bring me a nonviolent segregationist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/be-nonviolent-only-with-those-who-are-nonviolent-to-you-and-when-you/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [You can't legislate good will - that comes through education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-can-t-legislate-good-will-that-comes-through-education/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Those type of whites who are always going to jail with Negroes are the ones who tell Negroes to be loving and be kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/those-type-of-whites-who-are-always-going-to-jail-with-negroes-are/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [We Muslims believe that the white race, which is guilty of having oppressed and exploited and enslaved our people here in America, should and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-muslims-believe-that-the-white-race-which-is-guilty-of-having/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I mean a real police state just to get a token recognition of a law. It take, it took, I think, 15,000 troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-mean-a-real-police-state-just-to-get-a-token-recognition-of-a-law/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Like Samson, I am ready to pull down the white man's temple, knowing full well that I will be destroyed by the falling rubble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/like-samson-i-am-ready-to-pull-down-the-white-man-s-temple-knowing/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Any negro who occupies a position that was given to him by the white man, if you analyze his function, his function never enables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/any-negro-who-occupies-a-position-that-was-given-to-him-by-the-white/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Stumbling is not falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/stumbling-is-not-falling/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [God is going to punish the white man for his misdeeds toward black people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/god-is-going-to-punish-the-white-man-for-his-misdeeds-toward-black/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Much of what I say might sound like it's stirring up trouble, but it's the truth!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/much-of-what-i-say-might-sound-like-it-s-stirring-up-trouble-but-it-s/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don't believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn't want to practice it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-believe-in-the-brotherhood-of-all-men-but-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) [Explore all 891 Malcolm X quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) ## More Arm quotes > [We immerse ourselves in escapist mass entertainment, such as 'reality T.V.' programs. We support fanatical politicians and preachers. Our politicians, in turn, support dictators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/we-immerse-ourselves-in-escapist-mass-entertainment-such-as-reality-t/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [Some people aren't touchy-feely, but I grew up in a family where you'd walk into the family room and there'd be five people on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-donnell/some-people-aren-t-touchy-feely-but-i-grew-up-in-a-family-where-you-d/) [Chris O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-donnell/) > [Our covering ministry is Challenge for Christ ministries, and Travel the Road was solely our mission arm, designed to expose people to what missions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/our-covering-ministry-is-challenge-for-christ-ministries-and-travel/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [You wouldn't walk into a music store and walk out with a piece of music under your arm. So why would it be acceptable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/you-wouldn-t-walk-into-a-music-store-and-walk-out-with-a-piece-of/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [Sometimes I have to compromise my views, but I never compromise on issues like the death penalty and the arm trade laws, despite what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-shapiro/sometimes-i-have-to-compromise-my-views-but-i-never-compromise-on/) [Jonathan Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-shapiro/) > [I became an inventor by accident. I was out of the Air Force in 1956. No, no, that's not true: I went in in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-norris/i-became-an-inventor-by-accident-i-was-out-of-the-air-force-in-1956/) [Woody Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-norris/) > [If the arm got sore, we went out and pitched until the soreness left - we had to, or we would have been dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-nichols/if-the-arm-got-sore-we-went-out-and-pitched-until-the-soreness-left/) [Kid Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-nichols/) > [Because I don't produce insulin, I have to put insulin into my body, which means that I have a pen with a needle on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-cutler/because-i-don-t-produce-insulin-i-have-to-put-insulin-into-my-body/) [Jay Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-cutler/) > [I like to be approachable but I also like... I like to keep people at arm's length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-grassi/i-like-to-be-approachable-but-i-also-like-i-like-to-keep-people-at/) [Mitch Grassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-grassi/) > [Something went wrong with my right arm. I no longer could throw hard, and it hurt like the dickens every time I threw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dazzy-vance/something-went-wrong-with-my-right-arm-i-no-longer-could-throw-hard/) Dazzy Vance > [Monet was like a conductor. He painted with quite a straight arm and used bold strokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/monet-was-like-a-conductor-he-painted-with-quite-a-straight-arm-and/) [Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/) > [In judo, you get your arm broke. You get choked. You can tear your ACL.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-fournier/in-judo-you-get-your-arm-broke-you-get-choked-you-can-tear-your-acl/) [Evan Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-fournier/) > [Being Jewish has always been important to me. I now have 6M tattooed on the inside of my left arm. It's only a half-inch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/being-jewish-has-always-been-important-to-me-i-now-have-6m-tattooed/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I guess I set a world record for errors. I had a pretty good arm, see, but I didn't have much control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-brown/i-guess-i-set-a-world-record-for-errors-i-had-a-pretty-good-arm-see/) Mordecai Brown > [You never make fun of anybody with a club foot or a withered arm, but it's open season on anybody who stutters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/you-never-make-fun-of-anybody-with-a-club-foot-or-a-withered-arm-but/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) Browse all 167 Arm quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm X" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me-voluntarily-that-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arm" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me-voluntarily-that-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dea/malcolm-x-213_arm_if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me_2955511.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on…” — Malcolm X", "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": "Malcolm X", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If, if a white man puts...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me-voluntarily-that-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-if-a-white-man-puts-his-arm-around-me-voluntarily-that-s/#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 } } ] } ```