Bigotry Quote by Michelle Alexander
““When we think of racism we think of Governor Wallace of Alabama blocking the schoolhouse door; we think of water hoses, lynchings, racial epithets, and "whites only" signs. These images make it easy to forget that many wonderful, goodhearted white people who were generous to others, respectful of their neighbors, and even kind to their black maids, gardeners, or shoe shiners--and wished them well--nevertheless went to the polls and voted for racial segregation... Our understanding of racism is therefore shaped by the most extreme expressions of individual bigotry, not by the way in which it functions naturally, almost invisibly (and sometimes with genuinely benign intent), when it is embedded in the structure of a social system.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, 2010
Racism is often invisible, embedded in everyday structures and policies, not just overt acts of hatred.
In simple terms: Racism hides in systems.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge systemic bias.
Themes
racism
systemic oppression
bias
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- education reform
- voting rights
- community dialogue
- policy advocacy
Key Concepts
structural racism
policy
social norms
implicit bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How does everyday bias affect you?
- What can you do to expose hidden racism?
A Different Perspective
Systemic change is difficult and meets resistance.
![“[T]he slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery. —W.E.B Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America For” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fdb/michelle-alexander-750_slavery_t-he-slave-went-free-stood-a-brief-momen_96485.jpg)
![“What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for [Donald] Trump, and do not participate in that brand of animus, that gas-bagging of enormous bigotry.” quote by Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/01d/michael-eric-dyson-1424_animus_what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-c_14940.jpg)
