--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find it difficult to say I'm black…" description: "\"I find it difficult to say I'm black first and a woman second or vice versa. I can't make that kind of distinction. Amongst Aboriginal women I do my be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/pat-o-shane-55840_aboriginal_i-find-it-difficult-to-say-i-m-black-fir_2162019.png" --- # I find it difficult to say I'm black first and a woman… ![“I find it difficult to say I'm black first and a woman second or vice versa. I can't make that kind of distinction. Amongst Aboriginal women I do my best to raise their consciousness both as women and as Aboriginals.” quote by Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/pat-o-shane-55840_aboriginal_i-find-it-difficult-to-say-i-m-black-fir_2162019.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/pat-o-shane-55840_aboriginal_i-find-it-difficult-to-say-i-m-black-fir_2162019.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eea/pat-o-shane-55840_aboriginal_i-find-it-difficult-to-say-i-m-black-fir_2162019.png) > “I find it difficult to say I'm black first and a woman second or vice versa. I can't make that kind of distinction. Amongst Aboriginal women I do my best to raise their consciousness both as women and as Aboriginals.” [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She struggles with labeling identity, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness for both gender and Indigenous heritage. **In simple terms:** She finds it hard to prioritize race or gender, focusing on empowering Indigenous women. Key Takeaway Promote intersectional empowerment. Themes identity activism intersectionality Mood inspirational thoughtful Type advocacy educational When to use this quote - community organizing - education - policy advocacy Key Concepts Indigenous rights women's empowerment social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can we support both gender and cultural identity? - What strategies raise consciousness effectively? A Different Perspective Balancing multiple identities can be complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aboriginal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aboriginal/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [What is important is that I have been able to demonstrate to other women and also to Aboriginal people generally that Aboriginal people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-o-shane/what-is-important-is-that-i-have-been-able-to-demonstrate-to-other/) [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) > [The aboriginal women leaders of Papunya - the Papunya Artists - performed a dance for me: the Honey Ant dance. They'd never done it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-bryce/the-aboriginal-women-leaders-of-papunya-the-papunya-artists-performed/) [Quentin Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-bryce/) > [For me, now, feminist art must show a consciousness of women's social and economic position in the world. I also believe it demonstrates forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-lacy/for-me-now-feminist-art-must-show-a-consciousness-of-women-s-social/) Suzanne Lacy > [I have written with some amazing singers and songwriters - the moment with Snoop Dogg was amazing - but being able to tell an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mauboy/i-have-written-with-some-amazing-singers-and-songwriters-the-moment/) [Jessica Mauboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mauboy/) > [“If they follow the way of Money Chiefs, they shall die. Earth is sick and can no longer care for her children. Now, Earth’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fr-d-ric-perrin/if-they-follow-the-way-of-money-chiefs-they-shall-die-earth-is-sick/) Frédéric Perrin > [Over 120 Aboriginal communities run their own health services - some have been doing so for 30 years. They struggle with difficult medical problems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-fraser/over-120-aboriginal-communities-run-their-own-health-services-some/) [Malcolm Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-fraser/) > [The families of Aboriginals who have died in custody in NSW will suffer again because of these white lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-murray/the-families-of-aboriginals-who-have-died-in-custody-in-nsw-will/) Arthur Murray > [The native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity. They forget, perhaps, that his religion forbade the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-alexander-eastman/the-native-american-has-been-generally-despised-by-his-white/) [Charles Alexander Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-alexander-eastman/) > [In 1995, the Paul Keating Labor government commissioned an inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-1995-the-paul-keating-labor-government-commissioned-an-inquiry/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Genius . . . arises in the natural, aboriginal concern for the conscious unity of all phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-hunter-austin/genius-arises-in-the-natural-aboriginal-concern-for-the-conscious/) [Mary Hunter Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-hunter-austin/) > [We've had real strong aboriginal male artists who've crossed over to the mainstream who have toured the U.K., who have been a massive influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mauboy/we-ve-had-real-strong-aboriginal-male-artists-who-ve-crossed-over-to/) [Jessica Mauboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mauboy/) > [Aboriginal people are key because they have a different sense of where we belong and how we interact with nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/aboriginal-people-are-key-because-they-have-a-different-sense-of/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [One of my earliest memories is being backstage at 'Bran Nue Dae' in Darwin when I was about eight. It's such a fun, happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-sebbens/one-of-my-earliest-memories-is-being-backstage-at-bran-nue-dae-in/) [Shari Sebbens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-sebbens/) > [I'd much rather people knew me as a good tennis player than as an aboriginal who happens to play good tennis. Of course I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-d-much-rather-people-knew-me-as-a-good-tennis-player-than-as-an/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) ## More by Pat O'Shane > [Obstacles are there to get around, climb over or scramble through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-o-shane/obstacles-are-there-to-get-around-climb-over-or-scramble-through/) [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) > [The women are the movers and shakers in the community...they initiate things...they keep things going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-o-shane/the-women-are-the-movers-and-shakers-in-the-community-they-initiate/) [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) > [The driving thing was for me to get out of the poverty that we lived in... My mother always used to say that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-o-shane/the-driving-thing-was-for-me-to-get-out-of-the-poverty-that-we-lived/) [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) > [They (the women) will always do it, it seems to me... I am woman and I am strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-o-shane/they-the-women-will-always-do-it-it-seems-to-me-i-am-woman-and-i-am/) [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) > [What is important is that I have been able to demonstrate to other women and also to Aboriginal people generally that Aboriginal people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-o-shane/what-is-important-is-that-i-have-been-able-to-demonstrate-to-other/) [Pat O'Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) [Explore all 6 Pat O'Shane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-o-shane/) ## More Aboriginal quotes > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) > [I'd much rather people knew me as a good tennis player than as an aboriginal who happens to play good tennis. Of course I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-d-much-rather-people-knew-me-as-a-good-tennis-player-than-as-an/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [One of my earliest memories is being backstage at 'Bran Nue Dae' in Darwin when I was about eight. It's such a fun, happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-sebbens/one-of-my-earliest-memories-is-being-backstage-at-bran-nue-dae-in/) [Shari Sebbens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-sebbens/) > [Aboriginal people are key because they have a different sense of where we belong and how we interact with nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/aboriginal-people-are-key-because-they-have-a-different-sense-of/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [We've had real strong aboriginal male artists who've crossed over to the mainstream who have toured the U.K., who have been a massive influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mauboy/we-ve-had-real-strong-aboriginal-male-artists-who-ve-crossed-over-to/) [Jessica Mauboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mauboy/) > [Genius . . . arises in the natural, aboriginal concern for the conscious unity of all phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-hunter-austin/genius-arises-in-the-natural-aboriginal-concern-for-the-conscious/) [Mary Hunter Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-hunter-austin/) > [In 1995, the Paul Keating Labor government commissioned an inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-1995-the-paul-keating-labor-government-commissioned-an-inquiry/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [The native American has been generally despised by his white conquerors for his poverty and simplicity. They forget, perhaps, that his religion forbade the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-alexander-eastman/the-native-american-has-been-generally-despised-by-his-white/) [Charles Alexander Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-alexander-eastman/) > [The families of Aboriginals who have died in custody in NSW will suffer again because of these white lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-murray/the-families-of-aboriginals-who-have-died-in-custody-in-nsw-will/) Arthur Murray > [Over 120 Aboriginal communities run their own health services - some have been doing so for 30 years. They struggle with difficult medical problems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-fraser/over-120-aboriginal-communities-run-their-own-health-services-some/) [Malcolm Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-fraser/) > [“If they follow the way of Money Chiefs, they shall die. Earth is sick and can no longer care for her children. Now, Earth’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fr-d-ric-perrin/if-they-follow-the-way-of-money-chiefs-they-shall-die-earth-is-sick/) Frédéric Perrin > [I have written with some amazing singers and songwriters - the moment with Snoop Dogg was amazing - but being able to tell an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mauboy/i-have-written-with-some-amazing-singers-and-songwriters-the-moment/) [Jessica Mauboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mauboy/) > [In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-seen-as-divisions-between/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [People look at me, and they don't see what they think is a typical Aboriginal. I always thought I'd be the white person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-sebbens/people-look-at-me-and-they-don-t-see-what-they-think-is-a-typical/) [Shari Sebbens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-sebbens/) > [The most ultimately righteous of all wars is a war with savages, though it is apt to be also the most terrible and inhuman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-most-ultimately-righteous-of-all-wars-is-a-war-with-savages/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) [Browse all 184 Aboriginal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aboriginal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I find it difficult to say I'm black first and a woman second or vice versa. I can't make that kind of distinction. 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