--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jimmy said, \"We survived slavery. Think…" description: "\"“Jimmy said, \"We survived slavery. Think about that. Not because we were strong. The American Indians were strong, and they were on their own land. But..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/maya-angelou-104_african-americans_jimmy-said-we-survived-slavery-think-abo_2469146.png" --- # Jimmy said, "We survived slavery. Think about that. Not… ![“Jimmy said, "We survived slavery. Think about that. Not because we were strong. The American Indians were strong, and they were on their own land. But they have not survived genocide. You know how we survived?" I said nothing. "We put surviving into our poems and into our songs. We put it into our…” quote by Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/maya-angelou-104_african-americans_jimmy-said-we-survived-slavery-think-abo_2469146.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/maya-angelou-104_african-americans_jimmy-said-we-survived-slavery-think-abo_2469146.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/maya-angelou-104_african-americans_jimmy-said-we-survived-slavery-think-abo_2469146.png) > ““Jimmy said, "We survived slavery. Think about that. Not because we were strong. The American Indians were strong, and they were on their own land. But they have not survived genocide. You know how we survived?" I said nothing. "We put surviving into our poems and into our songs. We put it into our folk tales. We danced surviving in Congo Square in New Orleans and put it in our pots when we cooked pinto beans. We wore surviving on our backs when we clothed ourselves in the colors of the rainbow. We were pulled down so low we could hardly lift our eyes, so we knew, if we wanted to survive, we had better lift our own spirits. So we laughed whenever we got the chance.”” [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survival is expressed through art, community, and uplifting spirit despite oppression. **In simple terms:** Culture preserves survival through music, stories, and joy. Key Takeaway Embrace cultural expression to sustain hope. Themes resilience culture joy community identity Mood hopeful defiant reflective Type inspirational historical cultural When to use this quote - community gatherings - storytelling - music festivals - daily rituals - cooking traditions Key Concepts collective memory artistic expression spiritual uplift historical trauma cultural resistance Questions to Reflect On - How do artistic traditions foster resilience? - In what ways can joy counteract oppression? A Different Perspective Survival narratives can overlook ongoing systemic challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-americans/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Blacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blacks/) [Colors of the rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colors-of-the-rainbow/) [Genocide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genocide/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Native americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-americans/) [New orleans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-orleans/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) ## Related quotes > [You can't take our people from Africa and put us in a diaspora and spread us all over the world. And we survived slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-d-thomas/you-can-t-take-our-people-from-africa-and-put-us-in-a-diaspora-and/) [Eric D. 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