--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As much as I think it is necessary and…" description: "\"As much as I think it is necessary and desirable for white people to have an expanded view of the black American experience, it's probably even more im..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg" --- # As much as I think it is necessary and desirable for white… ![“As much as I think it is necessary and desirable for white people to have an expanded view of the black American experience, it's probably even more important for black people to have that expanded view.” quote by Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg) > “As much as I think it is necessary and desirable for white people to have an expanded view of the black American experience, it's probably even more important for black people to have that expanded view.” [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both groups need broader perspectives; mutual understanding enriches society. **In simple terms:** Everyone should broaden their view of each other's experiences. Key Takeaway Seek diverse narratives. Themes empathy education inclusion Mood inspirational thought‑provoking Type educational social When to use this quote - classroom discussions - media consumption - community dialogues - policy making Key Concepts cultural awareness historical context social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can we encourage cross‑cultural learning? - What barriers prevent people from expanding their perspectives? A Different Perspective Risk of oversimplifying complex histories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [Black American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-american/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Expanded View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expanded-view-3607177/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Important Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-black-896680/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Necessary Desirable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-desirable-368143/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Probably Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-important-410359/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [I have a pretty expanded view of what art is. I include pop music and even some sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-price/i-have-a-pretty-expanded-view-of-what-art-is-i-include-pop-music-and/) [Elizabeth Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-price/) > [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/) [Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/) > [“Yes, breadth of experience is likely necessary and desirable when you’re young—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/yes-breadth-of-experience-is-likely-necessary-and-desirable-when-you/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [Working with Benny was important for me and for black musicians in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-hampton/working-with-benny-was-important-for-me-and-for-black-musicians-in/) [Lionel Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-hampton/) > [Everybody in the working class is important, whether you're black or white and that's what I want them to feel and know from Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/everybody-in-the-working-class-is-important-whether-you-re-black-or/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [I think it's important for black people in general to be aware of what's going on and do what you got to work around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jpegmafia/i-think-it-s-important-for-black-people-in-general-to-be-aware-of/) [JPEGMAFIA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jpegmafia/) > [After Jackie Robinson the most important black in baseball history is Reggie Jackson, I really mean that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-jackson/after-jackie-robinson-the-most-important-black-in-baseball-history-is/) [Reggie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-jackson/) > [All lives matter when black lives matter and no lives are more important than black lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-woodson/all-lives-matter-when-black-lives-matter-and-no-lives-are-more/) [Charles Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-woodson/) > [I do think it's important for black writers to show that we too can make it into the mainstream. Growing up, I didn't just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-waithe/i-do-think-it-s-important-for-black-writers-to-show-that-we-too-can/) [Lena Waithe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-waithe/) > [The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-reason-people-think-it-s-important-to-be-white-is-that-they-think/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's very important to see a black gay teen represented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ncuti-gatwa/it-s-very-important-to-see-a-black-gay-teen-represented/) [Ncuti Gatwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ncuti-gatwa/) > [It's important for Black and Latino men to go to the doctor in general. We don't get checked up enough unless something hurts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/it-s-important-for-black-and-latino-men-to-go-to-the-doctor-in/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [The Black church is extremely important in Black America. I think most Americans themselves believe in a divine power, in a god, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-lennix/the-black-church-is-extremely-important-in-black-america-i-think-most/) [Harry Lennix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-lennix/) > [After Jackie Robinson the most important black in baseball history is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-jackson/after-jackie-robinson-the-most-important-black-in-baseball-history-is-2/) [Reggie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-jackson/) > [I think that probably the most important thing about our education was that it taught us to question even those things we thought we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/i-think-that-probably-the-most-important-thing-about-our-education/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) ## More by Margot Lee Shetterly > [“...internalized the Negro theorem of needing to be twice as good to get half as far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/internalized-the-negro-theorem-of-needing-to-be-twice-as-good-to-get/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“black people frequently disqualified themselves even without the WHITES ONLY sign in view”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/black-people-frequently-disqualified-themselves-even-without-the/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“At the beginning of a decade when everything was beginning to seem possible, nothing seemed impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/at-the-beginning-of-a-decade-when-everything-was-beginning-to-seem/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [Every time you go to an airport and get on a plane, you are basically taking advantage of the work that was done at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/every-time-you-go-to-an-airport-and-get-on-a-plane-you-are-basically/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“It was the engineer who determined what problems to investigate, designed the experiments, and defined the assignments for the mathematicians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/it-was-the-engineer-who-determined-what-problems-to-investigate/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Like craftsmen in a medieval guild, NASA engineers hoped that one day their children would decide to take up the mantle of the profession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/like-craftsmen-in-a-medieval-guild-nasa-engineers-hoped-that-one-day/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [For too long, history has imposed a binary condition on its black citizens: either nameless or renowned, menial or exceptional, passive recipients of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/for-too-long-history-has-imposed-a-binary-condition-on-its-black/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“a lifetime of stories”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/a-lifetime-of-stories/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Insatiably curious about the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/insatiably-curious-about-the-world/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [The success of 'Hidden Figures' proves that people are interested in, hungry for, stories about transcendent human experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/the-success-of-hidden-figures-proves-that-people-are-interested-in/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Early in her career at Langley, Dorthy Lee was interviewed for the Daily Press, in all probability by Virginia Biggins, the female reporter assigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/early-in-her-career-at-langley-dorthy-lee-was-interviewed-for-the/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Get the girl to check the numbers,' said the astronaut. If she says the numbers are good, he told them, I'm ready to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/get-the-girl-to-check-the-numbers-said-the-astronaut-if-she-says-the/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [My dad worked with Mary Jackson very closely at one point. I knew Katherine Johnson as well. They were all part of this group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/my-dad-worked-with-mary-jackson-very-closely-at-one-point-i-knew/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“War, technology, and social progress; it seemed that the second two always came with the first. The NACA’s work—more intense and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/war-technology-and-social-progress-it-seemed-that-the-second-two/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“The black female mathematicians who walked into Langley in 1943 would find themselves at the intersection of these great transformations, their sharp minds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/the-black-female-mathematicians-who-walked-into-langley-in-1943-would/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) [Explore all 79 Margot Lee Shetterly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As much as I think it is necessary and desirable for white people to have an expanded view of the black American experience, it's probably even more important for black people to have that expanded view.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Margot Lee Shetterly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-desirable-for-white-people-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-desirable-for-white-people-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/925/margot-lee-shetterly-8665_american_as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-d_1201751.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As much as I think it is necessary and desirable for white people to have an expanded view of the black…” — Margot Lee Shetterly", "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": "Margot Lee Shetterly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As much as I think it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-desirable-for-white-people-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/as-much-as-i-think-it-is-necessary-and-desirable-for-white-people-to/#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 } } ] } ```