--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't get to college until my 20s…" description: "\"I didn't get to college until my 20s, because I was a young father on welfare and had to take all kind of jobs to support my young son. There's what fr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/michael-eric-dyson-1424_all-kinds_i-didn-t-get-to-college-until-my-20s-bec_1242346.png" --- # I didn't get to college until my 20s, because I was a… ![“I didn't get to college until my 20s, because I was a young father on welfare and had to take all kind of jobs to support my young son. There's what frames my view on the topics I discuss on my shows, and the average person relates to that. No matter how many degrees I have now, I lived that life…” quote by Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/michael-eric-dyson-1424_all-kinds_i-didn-t-get-to-college-until-my-20s-bec_1242346.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/michael-eric-dyson-1424_all-kinds_i-didn-t-get-to-college-until-my-20s-bec_1242346.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/michael-eric-dyson-1424_all-kinds_i-didn-t-get-to-college-until-my-20s-bec_1242346.png) > “I didn't get to college until my 20s, because I was a young father on welfare and had to take all kind of jobs to support my young son. There's what frames my view on the topics I discuss on my shows, and the average person relates to that. No matter how many degrees I have now, I lived that life, and that comes through to the people watching.” [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His early life as a young father on welfare shaped his perspective, making his commentary relatable despite later academic achievements. **In simple terms:** His past informs his voice and connects with audiences. Key Takeaway Leverage personal experience for authenticity. Themes authenticity social mobility education parenthood media Mood reflective inspirational Type personal narrative motivational When to use this quote - public speaking - teaching - community outreach - media production Key Concepts sociology narrative identity resilience Questions to Reflect On - How does your background influence your current viewpoints? - What can listeners learn from your journey? A Different Perspective Personal anecdotes may not fully represent broader systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [20S Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/20s-young-3883211/) [All kinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-kinds/) [Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average/) [Average person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [College 20S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-20s-3883209/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Degrees Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees-lived-3883210/) [Didn College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-college-368220/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Relate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relate/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Topics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/topics/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-father-1004673/) ## Related quotes > [The idea of trust-fund guys who live in Brooklyn in their 30s is really interesting to me. There's a time and a place where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-heidecker/the-idea-of-trust-fund-guys-who-live-in-brooklyn-in-their-30s-is/) [Tim Heidecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-heidecker/) > [I think I'm a fairly average person, I think I have only a medium IQ. I didn't go to college, obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-gurley-brown/i-think-i-m-a-fairly-average-person-i-think-i-have-only-a-medium-iq-i/) [Helen Gurley Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-gurley-brown/) > [When you have two daughters, you are complete. The whole day changes for you. It's a lot about them, how you act, how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-boateng/when-you-have-two-daughters-you-are-complete-the-whole-day-changes/) [Jerome Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-boateng/) > [I was pretty young when my father was prime minister, so it wasn't really a big part of my life. My folks were away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-mcmahon/i-was-pretty-young-when-my-father-was-prime-minister-so-it-wasn-t/) [Julian McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-mcmahon/) > [“As a young father it's important to remember that, when you're at the beach, there's a BIG difference between telling your five year old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spuds-crawford/as-a-young-father-it-s-important-to-remember-that-when-you-re-at-the/) [Spuds Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spuds-crawford/) > [In 'Citadel,' I play a very young father. When I first signed onto 'Hunky Dory,' I was actually 18 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-barnard/in-citadel-i-play-a-very-young-father-when-i-first-signed-onto-hunky/) [Aneurin Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-barnard/) > [When I was young, my father was lord Of a small kingdom: a wife, a garden, Kids for whom his word was Word. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-k-smith/when-i-was-young-my-father-was-lord-of-a-small-kingdom-a-wife-a/) [Tracy K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-k-smith/) > [I lost my mother when I was very young, and my father when I was in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roma-downey/i-lost-my-mother-when-i-was-very-young-and-my-father-when-i-was-in/) [Roma Downey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roma-downey/) > [“You are young, Father Iron Horse, and you have a young man’s vices. Certainty. Shortsightedness. Contempt for pragmatism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/you-are-young-father-iron-horse-and-you-have-a-young-man-s-vices/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [I was so lucky because I started working very young. And my father was very wealthy and I didn't need to work. I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-was-so-lucky-because-i-started-working-very-young-and-my-father-was/) [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/) > [It is good to be a young father, a young parent. You have that energy, and you are growing up with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/it-is-good-to-be-a-young-father-a-young-parent-you-have-that-energy/) [Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/) > [When I was young my father used to play. He always took me to the training ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-partey/when-i-was-young-my-father-used-to-play-he-always-took-me-to-the/) [Thomas Partey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-partey/) > [It is a wonderful thing to get married young and become a father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/it-is-a-wonderful-thing-to-get-married-young-and-become-a-father/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [My father was only thirty-one when he died of a heart attack, much too young for a father to die and leave his young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/my-father-was-only-thirty-one-when-he-died-of-a-heart-attack-much-too/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [I was an overly young father, is the most polite way of putting it. I think I was rather immature and all I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-was-an-overly-young-father-is-the-most-polite-way-of-putting-it-i/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) ## More by Michael Eric Dyson > [Jeremiah Wright is one of the greatest prophetic preachers that black America has produced. What I find striking is that many white brothers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/jeremiah-wright-is-one-of-the-greatest-prophetic-preachers-that-black/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [ What are you for? 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I couldn't just say what I wanted to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-ve-written-a-lot-of-other-books-and-this-book-tears-we-cannot-stop/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“And there is a paradox that many of you refuse to see: to get to a point where race won’t make a difference, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/and-there-is-a-paradox-that-many-of-you-refuse-to-see-to-get-to-a/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [ Elvis \[Presley\] had a stepstool, if you will, to success because he came from the dominant culture. They identified with him. Michael Jackson had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/elvis-presley-had-a-stepstool-if-you-will-to-success-because-he-came/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [I believe in a God of a second chance and a God of love and mercy, because I need so much more of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-believe-in-a-god-of-a-second-chance-and-a-god-of-love-and-mercy/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [I was very struck when Min. Farrakhan said if Jesus and Muhammad were here today, they'd be embracing each other. That's a tremendous message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-was-very-struck-when-min-farrakhan-said-if-jesus-and-muhammad-were/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“O! save us, we pray thee, thou God of Heaven and of earth, from the devouring hands of the white Christians!!! . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/o-save-us-we-pray-thee-thou-god-of-heaven-and-of-earth-from-the/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [We can't exempt ourselves from the same moral calculus that we are willing to apply to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/we-can-t-exempt-ourselves-from-the-same-moral-calculus-that-we-are/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [New Orleans invented the brown paper bag party - usually at a gathering in a home - where anyone darker than the bag attached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/new-orleans-invented-the-brown-paper-bag-party-usually-at-a-gathering/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [“Whiteness is an advantage and privilege because you have made it so, not because the universe demands it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/whiteness-is-an-advantage-and-privilege-because-you-have-made-it-so/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [I'm just challenging white supremacy at its intellectual heart every day. It's a pedagogy that I deploy against some of the most vicious resistance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/i-m-just-challenging-white-supremacy-at-its-intellectual-heart-every/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) [Explore all 242 Michael Eric Dyson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) ## More All kinds quotes > [I was interested in all kinds of things, whether it be Avatar, Mad Men, Troy, 300, Battlestar Gallactica, or the poems of Horace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mendelsohn/i-was-interested-in-all-kinds-of-things-whether-it-be-avatar-mad-men/) [Daniel Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mendelsohn/) > [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [I'm not technically proficient enough to attempt all kinds of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/i-m-not-technically-proficient-enough-to-attempt-all-kinds-of-music/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [My office in New York is overflowing with all kinds of cookbooks, and in New Orleans we have a huge culinary library. So yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emeril-lagasse/my-office-in-new-york-is-overflowing-with-all-kinds-of-cookbooks-and/) [Emeril Lagasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emeril-lagasse/) > [Sydney is full of the craziest and most talented artists of all kinds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keiynan-lonsdale/sydney-is-full-of-the-craziest-and-most-talented-artists-of-all-kinds/) [Keiynan Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keiynan-lonsdale/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [You know, the world’s not running out of oil. 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