--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Underground Railroad was the first…" description: "\"The Underground Railroad was the first integrated civil rights movement. And it's a great example of when we work together, what we can go against. Whi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/misha-green-10691_civil-rights_the-underground-railroad-was-the-first-i_357205.jpg" --- # The Underground Railroad was the first integrated civil… ![“The Underground Railroad was the first integrated civil rights movement. And it's a great example of when we work together, what we can go against. Which is 600 miles of crazy terrain being chased by slave catchers to get people to be what they should be in the first case - which is free.” quote by Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/misha-green-10691_civil-rights_the-underground-railroad-was-the-first-i_357205.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/misha-green-10691_civil-rights_the-underground-railroad-was-the-first-i_357205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53a/misha-green-10691_civil-rights_the-underground-railroad-was-the-first-i_357205.jpg) > “The Underground Railroad was the first integrated civil rights movement. And it's a great example of when we work together, what we can go against. Which is 600 miles of crazy terrain being chased by slave catchers to get people to be what they should be in the first case - which is free.” [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The story shows how collective action can overcome oppressive systems, turning a perilous journey into a fight for freedom. **In simple terms:** Working together can defeat oppression. Key Takeaway Unite to challenge injustice. Themes solidarity freedom resistance Mood determined hopeful Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - historical resistance - modern activism - community organizing - educational curricula Key Concepts collective action civil rights danger Questions to Reflect On - How can we apply this unity today? - What risks arise when confronting oppression? A Different Perspective Success depends on sustained cooperation and strategic planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Civil rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights-movement/) [Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Railroad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railroad/) [Railroad Integrated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railroad-integrated-2881179/) [Rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-movement/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Underground railroad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground-railroad/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-together/) ## Related quotes > [The Underground Railroad, which was the first integrated civil rights movement, is a part of our history that not a lot of us know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett-bell/the-underground-railroad-which-was-the-first-integrated-civil-rights/) [Jurnee Smollett-Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett-bell/) > [During the Civil War, the Underground Railroad became a spy network, so we could still have fresh stories for these characters years into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/during-the-civil-war-the-underground-railroad-became-a-spy-network-so/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [The story of the Underground Railroad is the story of American heroes, and who doesn't want to hear a story about American heroes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/the-story-of-the-underground-railroad-is-the-story-of-american-heroes/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [I was like, 'Oh, let's do a show about the Underground Railroad.' I never come up with great titles, and I thought, 'Underground' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/i-was-like-oh-let-s-do-a-show-about-the-underground-railroad-i-never/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [The Underground Railroad was a spy network for the North and that story has never been told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/the-underground-railroad-was-a-spy-network-for-the-north-and-that/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [What is needed in the world today is a Civil Rights Movement for the Soul, freeing humanity at last from the oppression of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/what-is-needed-in-the-world-today-is-a-civil-rights-movement-for-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [There's no problem on the planet that can't be solved without violence. That's the lesson of the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/there-s-no-problem-on-the-planet-that-can-t-be-solved-without/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I have loved the Department of Justice ever since, as a young boy, I watched Robert Kennedy prove during the Civil Rights Movement how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-have-loved-the-department-of-justice-ever-since-as-a-young-boy-i/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [“A new civil rights movement cannot be organized around the relics of the earlier system of control if it is to address meaningfully the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/a-new-civil-rights-movement-cannot-be-organized-around-the-relics-of/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [I took an interest in the Civil Rights Movement. I listened to Martin Luther King. The Vietnam War was raging. When I was 18,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhanath-swami/i-took-an-interest-in-the-civil-rights-movement-i-listened-to-martin/) [Radhanath Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhanath-swami/) > [LISTEN: If you ever wondered what you would do if you were alive in the Civil Rights Movement, NOW IS THE TIME to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-king/listen-if-you-ever-wondered-what-you-would-do-if-you-were-alive-in/) [Shaun King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-king/) > [I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-don-t-think-the-riots-derailed-the-civil-rights-movement/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [The mainstream sort of presentation of the civil rights movement was not something that I directly inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-mainstream-sort-of-presentation-of-the-civil-rights-movement-was/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Most students graduate from high school knowing nine words about the civil rights movement: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and "I Have a Dream."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/most-students-graduate-from-high-school-knowing-nine-words-about-the/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) ## More by Misha Green > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [Horror is my favorite genre, but it works best for me when it's a metaphor on top of something we can all relate to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/horror-is-my-favorite-genre-but-it-works-best-for-me-when-it-s-a/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [Everybody wants to watch the underdog win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/everybody-wants-to-watch-the-underdog-win/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [The Underground Railroad was a spy network for the North and that story has never been told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/the-underground-railroad-was-a-spy-network-for-the-north-and-that/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [For me, I feel like horror space has always been a space of the other, even when it's not people of color or black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/for-me-i-feel-like-horror-space-has-always-been-a-space-of-the-other/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [When I first read 'Lovecraft Country' I knew it had the potential to be unlike anything else on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/when-i-first-read-lovecraft-country-i-knew-it-had-the-potential-to-be/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [You know, being an 'other' in this world, you're walking around in a horror movie at all times, you're always on edge and wondering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/you-know-being-an-other-in-this-world-you-re-walking-around-in-a/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [Oppression is not limited to people of color, but if you feel guilty that's something you should confront.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/oppression-is-not-limited-to-people-of-color-but-if-you-feel-guilty/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > ['Get Out' definitely brought it to the mainstream, but you can look back at the original 'Night of the Living Dead' and that's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/get-out-definitely-brought-it-to-the-mainstream-but-you-can-look-back/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [If your art is speaking to the moment, that's all you can hope for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/if-your-art-is-speaking-to-the-moment-that-s-all-you-can-hope-for/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [If the actors aren't reacting the way people would react, that's where you step into disbelief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/if-the-actors-aren-t-reacting-the-way-people-would-react-that-s-where/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [It's easy to let ourselves off the hook and say, 'Oh, I would never own slaves.' Because this is in the DNA of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/it-s-easy-to-let-ourselves-off-the-hook-and-say-oh-i-would-never-own/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [I was like, 'Oh, let's do a show about the Underground Railroad.' I never come up with great titles, and I thought, 'Underground' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/i-was-like-oh-let-s-do-a-show-about-the-underground-railroad-i-never/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [I think, because you look around in Hollywood, and there are no 'me's. There's nobody that's as young as me, as black as me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/i-think-because-you-look-around-in-hollywood-and-there-are-no-me-s/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [I don't want to say you should censor yourselves, but the storyteller should be able to defend why a narrative needed to shift that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/i-don-t-want-to-say-you-should-censor-yourselves-but-the-storyteller/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) [Explore all 64 Misha Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) [Elizabeth Tambascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Underground Railroad was the first integrated civil rights movement. 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