--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Race in America is not a problem you can…" description: "\"Race in America is not a problem you can go over, or around or under. You've got to go through it.\" — Mitch Landrieu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60d/mitch-landrieu-23404_america_race-in-america-is-not-a-problem-you-can_1116241.jpg" --- # Race in America is not a problem you can go over, or… ![“Race in America is not a problem you can go over, or around or under. You've got to go through it.” quote by Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60d/mitch-landrieu-23404_america_race-in-america-is-not-a-problem-you-can_1116241.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60d/mitch-landrieu-23404_america_race-in-america-is-not-a-problem-you-can_1116241.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60d/mitch-landrieu-23404_america_race-in-america-is-not-a-problem-you-can_1116241.jpg) > “Race in America is not a problem you can go over, or around or under. You've got to go through it.” [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial issues cannot be ignored or bypassed; they must be confronted directly. **In simple terms:** You must face race issues head‑on. Key Takeaway Confront, issues directly. Themes race justice social change Mood reflective determined Type motivational political When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - education reform Key Concepts systemic inequality dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How can we create spaces to discuss race openly? - What actions confront systemic inequality? A Different Perspective Ignoring race perpetuates division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-problem-1871881/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-america-754613/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [“I discovered race in America and it fascinated me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-discovered-race-in-america-and-it-fascinated-me/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I do not claim to be an expert on race in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-van-gundy/i-do-not-claim-to-be-an-expert-on-race-in-america/) [Stan Van Gundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-van-gundy/) > [Race in America has always centered on our mutual agreement not to see each other. White or non-white. Black or non-black. Mongoloid, Hindoo. We've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/race-in-america-has-always-centered-on-our-mutual-agreement-not-to/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [To take on the question of race in America and believe that you could transform this country so that it would actually be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/to-take-on-the-question-of-race-in-america-and-believe-that-you-could/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [I write about race in America in hopes of undermining the notion of race in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/i-write-about-race-in-america-in-hopes-of-undermining-the-notion-of/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [A lot of people want to change the world, but only a few people want to change themselves. When it comes to the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bradley/a-lot-of-people-want-to-change-the-world-but-only-a-few-people-want/) [Bill Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bradley/) > [I was tired of everyone saying that when you write about race in America, it has to be nuanced, it has to be subtle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-was-tired-of-everyone-saying-that-when-you-write-about-race-in/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I always tell young people in particular: Do not say that nothing's changed when it comes to race in America, unless you lived through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-always-tell-young-people-in-particular-do-not-say-that-nothing-s/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > ['Get Out' takes on the task of exploring race in America, something that hasn't really been done within the genre since 'Night of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/get-out-takes-on-the-task-of-exploring-race-in-america-something-that/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [Well, the white race in America is the same way. As individuals it is impossible for them to escape the collective crime committed against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/well-the-white-race-in-america-is-the-same-way-as-individuals-it-is/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I am not sure the issue of race in America will ever be completely solved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-am-not-sure-the-issue-of-race-in-america-will-ever-be-completely/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I think race in America is a huge one. That's something that needs to be confronted, certainly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/i-think-race-in-america-is-a-huge-one-that-s-something-that-needs-to/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [America is racial. America was founded on race. Race is America. The code name for America is 'race.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mooney/america-is-racial-america-was-founded-on-race-race-is-america-the/) [Paul Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mooney/) > [When we see that our problem is so complicated and so all-encompassing in its intent and content, then we realize that it is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/when-we-see-that-our-problem-is-so-complicated-and-so-all/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [It just so happens that most of the Democrats happen to be aligned with the "America is the problem in the world" side. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-just-so-happens-that-most-of-the-democrats-happen-to-be-aligned/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Mitch Landrieu > [I love Mardi Gras. I'm a street rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/i-love-mardi-gras-i-m-a-street-rat/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [“It is an affront to our present, and it is a bad prescription for our future. History cannot be changed. It cannot be moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/it-is-an-affront-to-our-present-and-it-is-a-bad-prescription-for-our/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [Political corruption is endemic all over this country, in some places worse than others, right? On crime, you have all the major American cities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/political-corruption-is-endemic-all-over-this-country-in-some-places/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [“I knew that taking down the monuments was going to be tough, but you elected me to do the right thing, not the easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/i-knew-that-taking-down-the-monuments-was-going-to-be-tough-but-you/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [One of the things that's beautiful about New Orleans is how culturally rich we are and how well we have worked together. People call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/one-of-the-things-that-s-beautiful-about-new-orleans-is-how/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [“They were erected purposefully to send a strong message to all who walked in their shadows about who was still in charge in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/they-were-erected-purposefully-to-send-a-strong-message-to-all-who/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [“These statues are not just stone and metal. They are not just innocent remembrances of a benign history. These monuments purposefully celebrate a fictional,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/these-statues-are-not-just-stone-and-metal-they-are-not-just-innocent/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [It's a common theme around the city of New Orleans; we're resilient people because we have to be. We love this place with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/it-s-a-common-theme-around-the-city-of-new-orleans-we-re-resilient/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [You can't hide behind race any more. You can't hide behind class structure any more. You can't hide behind family. You need to produce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/you-can-t-hide-behind-race-any-more-you-can-t-hide-behind-class/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [The federal government was responsible for building the levees, engineering the levees, and consequentially, the federal government is responsible for repairing the damage that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/the-federal-government-was-responsible-for-building-the-levees/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [The people of New Orleans have gotten to rock bottom. And the only way out in my mind is for them to really understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/the-people-of-new-orleans-have-gotten-to-rock-bottom-and-the-only-way/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [Congress does investigations better than they do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/congress-does-investigations-better-than-they-do-anything-else/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [“This is, however, about showing the whole world that we as a city and as a people are able to acknowledge, understand, reconcile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/this-is-however-about-showing-the-whole-world-that-we-as-a-city-and/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [“Instead of revering a four-year brief historical aberration that was called the Confederacy we can celebrate all 300 years of our rich, diverse history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/instead-of-revering-a-four-year-brief-historical-aberration-that-was/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) > [Eighty-five percent of us in this country, by the way, live in coastal areas, so again, Katrina and Rita were not just about New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-landrieu/eighty-five-percent-of-us-in-this-country-by-the-way-live-in-coastal/) [Mitch Landrieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) [Explore all 26 Mitch Landrieu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-landrieu/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Race in America is not a problem you can go over, or around or under. 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