--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did not believe what I was told about…" description: "\"I did not believe what I was told about being poor and black and female in Mississippi in 1954.\" — Oprah Winfrey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png" --- # I did not believe what I was told about being poor and… ![“I did not believe what I was told about being poor and black and female in Mississippi in 1954.” quote by Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png) > “I did not believe what I was told about being poor and black and female in Mississippi in 1954.” [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker challenges stereotypes about poverty, race, gender, and geography, emphasizing personal experience over assumptions. **In simple terms:** Personal experience disproves stereotypes. Key Takeaway Question assumptions with lived reality. Themes identity stereotypes social justice Mood reflective determined Type inspirational critical. When to use this quote - education reform - community outreach - media representation - policy advocacy Key Concepts intersectionality systemic bias personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How have your own assumptions been challenged? - What actions can you take to amplify marginalized voices? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can be deeply entrenched and resistant to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Mississippi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mississippi/) ## Related quotes > [We celebrate the birth of one who told us to give everything to the poor by giving each other motorized tie racks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/we-celebrate-the-birth-of-one-who-told-us-to-give-everything-to-the/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [My mother often told us that it is a poor dog that will not wag its own tail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-k-davis/my-mother-often-told-us-that-it-is-a-poor-dog-that-will-not-wag-its/) [Danny K. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-k-davis/) > [When we give help to the poor, we are not doing the work of aid agencies 'in a Christian way'. Those are good, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/when-we-give-help-to-the-poor-we-are-not-doing-the-work-of-aid/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [All of my life, I've been told no. That I was too poor, too short, too black. I enjoy it when people underestimate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-glenn/all-of-my-life-i-ve-been-told-no-that-i-was-too-poor-too-short-too/) [Darryl Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-glenn/) > [“I remember being told of a poor wretch I once knew, who had died of hunger. I was almost beside myself with rage! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-remember-being-told-of-a-poor-wretch-i-once-knew-who-had-died-of/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I grew up on a farm. I didn't have health insurance until I was 24 years old. So, I didn't even know I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin-stutzman/i-grew-up-on-a-farm-i-didn-t-have-health-insurance-until-i-was-24/) [Marlin Stutzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin-stutzman/) > [We're poor black kids from Akron, Ohio. When you tell stories about people like us, sometimes it's going to be considered a social-impact story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maverick-carter/we-re-poor-black-kids-from-akron-ohio-when-you-tell-stories-about/) [Maverick Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maverick-carter/) > [“She said, "I wish I had been born poor." ("I wish I'd been born an Indian" - Robert Kennedy.) The ideal would have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-nunez/she-said-i-wish-i-had-been-born-poor-i-wish-i-d-been-born-an-indian/) [Sigrid Núñez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-nunez/) > [I decided, if I'm going to be poor and black and all, the least thing I'm going to do is to try and find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ornette-coleman/i-decided-if-i-m-going-to-be-poor-and-black-and-all-the-least-thing-i/) [Ornette Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ornette-coleman/) > [The poor black people in it make the black people in Gone With the Wind look like Malcolm X.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/the-poor-black-people-in-it-make-the-black-people-in-gone-with-the/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [Every single progressive education fad of the past thirty years has hurt poor black children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/every-single-progressive-education-fad-of-the-past-thirty-years-has/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [I was poor, black, I overcame all those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-robinson/i-was-poor-black-i-overcame-all-those-things/) [Mark Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-robinson/) > [ Poor is the new black. So on this film \[The Land\], there are poor black people, but there are also poor Latinos, and poor… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-caple-jr/poor-is-the-new-black-so-on-this-film-the-land-there-are-poor-black/) [Steven Caple Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-caple-jr/) > [Atlanta is unique to me. You got poor black people, but I also saw this: I saw black doctors, lawyers, educators. All you gotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/atlanta-is-unique-to-me-you-got-poor-black-people-but-i-also-saw-this/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I just grew up a poor black kid in Alabama with a single mom and two brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-just-grew-up-a-poor-black-kid-in-alabama-with-a-single-mom-and-two/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) ## More by Oprah Winfrey > [I've seen that many times in rural African villages where people have nothing but a hut and a bowl. The joy in the children's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-ve-seen-that-many-times-in-rural-african-villages-where-people-have/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [These French-style caramels are handmade in California. It's always hard to give them away!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/these-french-style-caramels-are-handmade-in-california-it-s-always/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I was in a conversation and someone said: "You know, we were talking about the whole issue of transgender and how it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-was-in-a-conversation-and-someone-said-you-know-we-were-talking/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Forgiveness is about letting go of the past and not holding on to it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/forgiveness-is-about-letting-go-of-the-past-and-not-holding-on-to-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The deepest courage we can exercise is continuing to believe in our dreams until we make them come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-deepest-courage-we-can-exercise-is-continuing-to-believe-in-our/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [If you can see it, and believe it, it is a LOT easier to achieve it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/if-you-can-see-it-and-believe-it-it-is-a-lot-easier-to-achieve-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/there-is-no-greater-gift-you-can-give-or-receive-than-to-honor-your/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Gratitude is the single greatest treasure I will take with me from this experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/gratitude-is-the-single-greatest-treasure-i-will-take-with-me-from/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I am disappointed by this controversy surrounding A Million Little Pieces because I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-am-disappointed-by-this-controversy-surrounding-a-million-little/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Keep a grateful journal. Every night, list five things that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change our perspective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/keep-a-grateful-journal-every-night-list-five-things-that-you-are/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-want-every-day-to-be-a-fresh-start-on-expanding-what-is-possible/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [We often block our own blessings because we don't feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough... You're worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/we-often-block-our-own-blessings-because-we-don-t-feel-inherently/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [One if the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/one-if-the-hardest-things-in-life-to-learn-are-which-bridges-to-cross/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [You must feed your mind with reading material, thoughts, and ideas that open you to new possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/you-must-feed-your-mind-with-reading-material-thoughts-and-ideas-that/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Your soul tells you when it's time to move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/your-soul-tells-you-when-it-s-time-to-move-on/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) [Explore all 971 Oprah Winfrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did not believe what I was told about being poor and black and female in Mississippi in 1954.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oprah Winfrey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about-being-poor-and-black-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about-being-poor-and-black-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/oprah-winfrey-186_believe_i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about_1031679.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I did not believe what I was told about being poor and black and female in Mississippi in 1954.” — Oprah Winfrey", "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": "Oprah Winfrey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I did not believe what I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about-being-poor-and-black-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-did-not-believe-what-i-was-told-about-being-poor-and-black-and/#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 } } ] } ```