--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not all of us are as effective as we…" description: "\"Not all of us are as effective as we could be, should be, or need to be, but some of the [most important] issues are slowly starting to be taken up aga..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg" --- # Not all of us are as effective as we could be, should be… ![“Not all of us are as effective as we could be, should be, or need to be, but some of the [most important] issues are slowly starting to be taken up again within black communities [because of their contributions], when we're not obsessed with personal attacks against each other.” quote by Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg) > “Not all of us are as effective as we could be, should be, or need to be, but some of the \[most important\] issues are slowly starting to be taken up again within black communities \[because of their contributions\], when we're not obsessed with personal attacks against each other.” [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People in Black communities are beginning to address key issues without resorting to personal attacks. **In simple terms:** Black communities are tackling problems without personal attacks. Key Takeaway Focus on collective issues, not personal conflict. Themes community social justice communication conflict resolution Mood reflective hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - community meetings - online discussions - policy advocacy Key Concepts collective action social dynamics identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How can we sustain constructive dialogue? - What barriers prevent broader engagement? A Different Perspective Progress may be slow and uneven. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-communities-318044/) [Black community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-community/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-issues/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Issues Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues-slowly-3902521/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [Personal attacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-attacks/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Starting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) ## Related quotes > [It's really unfortunate that instead of focusing on the really important issues in our world, Donald Trump chooses to make personal attacks on people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-winter/it-s-really-unfortunate-that-instead-of-focusing-on-the-really/) [Ariel Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-winter/) > [I think we have to really focus on the issues much more than we may have in the past. I think we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-we-have-to-really-focus-on-the-issues-much-more-than-we-may/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [A people who have suffered so much for so long at hands of a racist society must draw the line somewhere… the black communities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-seale/a-people-who-have-suffered-so-much-for-so-long-at-hands-of-a-racist/) [Bobby Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-seale/) > [Mass incarceration is a policy that's kind of built up over the last four decades and it's destroyed families and communities, and something we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/mass-incarceration-is-a-policy-that-s-kind-of-built-up-over-the-last/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Nationwide, 1 in 3 black men can expect to serve time behind bars, but the rates are far higher in segregated and impoverished black communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/nationwide-1-in-3-black-men-can-expect-to-serve-time-behind-bars-but/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [ I've heard Donald \[Trump\]s ay this at his rallies, and it's really unfortunate that he paints such a dire negative picture of black communities… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-ve-heard-donald-trump-s-ay-this-at-his-rallies-and-it-s-really/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I regard reduction in Federal spending as one of the most important issues in this campaign. In my opinion it is the most direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-regard-reduction-in-federal-spending-as-one-of-the-most-important/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [One thing I can say as far as people from black communities dealing with trauma or PTSD is putting some trauma centers or some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polo-g/one-thing-i-can-say-as-far-as-people-from-black-communities-dealing/) [Polo G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polo-g/) > [Especially in black communities, we've been so groomed to stay where we are and not like people in the other neighborhoods. It's crazy. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-reed/especially-in-black-communities-we-ve-been-so-groomed-to-stay-where/) [Ed Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-reed/) > [Every community has crime and violence; it's a part of being human. This idea that black communities are more violent than others is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/every-community-has-crime-and-violence-it-s-a-part-of-being-human/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I suppose our lives need to be more integrated. We have white communities and black communities and white country clubs and black country clubs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diahann-carroll/i-suppose-our-lives-need-to-be-more-integrated-we-have-white/) [Diahann Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diahann-carroll/) > [Black Lives Matter has become what black communities all over the world have needed it to become. At times, it is a hashtag; at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/black-lives-matter-has-become-what-black-communities-all-over-the/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Within church communities, within black communities, and within black church communities, gossip is thy friend. Gossip will be thy friend!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ncuti-gatwa/within-church-communities-within-black-communities-and-within-black/) [Ncuti Gatwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ncuti-gatwa/) > [Racism has its boot squarely wedged on the neck of black communities, and we don't want to be told that hard work and responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/racism-has-its-boot-squarely-wedged-on-the-neck-of-black-communities/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) ## More by Michael C Dawson > [One of the things we've lost as blacks in the United States is imagining different ways the world could be organized, how this country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/one-of-the-things-we-ve-lost-as-blacks-in-the-united-states-is/) [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) > [Whether we're talking about what the role of the government is, what you think of the United Nations, political leaders or how to respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/whether-we-re-talking-about-what-the-role-of-the-government-is-what/) [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) > [Without external pressure, things might have gone very differently. That has always been true for African Americans; the better we've been at raising international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/without-external-pressure-things-might-have-gone-very-differently/) [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) > [Controlling for all the things that sociologists, economists, and political scientists say you should control for, we find that what drives one's views \[most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/controlling-for-all-the-things-that-sociologists-economists-and/) [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) > [Black Realism or cosmopolitan black politician is a code word to say this is a black person that is not tied to a civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/black-realism-or-cosmopolitan-black-politician-is-a-code-word-to-say/) [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) [Explore all 6 Michael C Dawson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) ## 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. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. 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": "Not all of us are as effective as we could be, should be, or need to be, but some of the [most important] issues are slowly starting to be taken up again within black communities [because of their contributions], when we're not obsessed with personal attacks against each other.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael C Dawson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-could-be-should-be-or-need-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-could-be-should-be-or-need-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/michael-c-dawson-54101_black_not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-cou_2867082.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not all of us are as effective as we could be, should be, or need to be, but some of the [most important]…” — Michael C Dawson", "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": "Michael C Dawson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Not all of us are as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-could-be-should-be-or-need-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/not-all-of-us-are-as-effective-as-we-could-be-should-be-or-need-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```