--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we acknowledged as a nation during…" description: "\"What we acknowledged as a nation during the one-and-a-half year trial of George Zimmerman is that the white majority's public imagination of black peop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/patrisse-cullors-5946_black-people_what-we-acknowledged-as-a-nation-during_1456225.jpg" --- # What we acknowledged as a nation during the one-and-a-half… ![“What we acknowledged as a nation during the one-and-a-half year trial of George Zimmerman is that the white majority's public imagination of black people was based on their fear of us, not the reality of who we are.” quote by Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/patrisse-cullors-5946_black-people_what-we-acknowledged-as-a-nation-during_1456225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/patrisse-cullors-5946_black-people_what-we-acknowledged-as-a-nation-during_1456225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/064/patrisse-cullors-5946_black-people_what-we-acknowledged-as-a-nation-during_1456225.jpg) > “What we acknowledged as a nation during the one-and-a-half year trial of George Zimmerman is that the white majority's public imagination of black people was based on their fear of us, not the reality of who we are.” [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public perception of Black people is shaped by fear rather than reality, influencing societal narratives. **In simple terms:** Fear drives stereotypes about Black people. Key Takeaway Challenge fear‑based narratives. Themes race media perception fear Mood critical inspirational Type activist analytical When to use this quote - media analysis - community dialogue - policy making - education programs Key Concepts social psychology stereotype formation Questions to Reflect On - How can we replace fear with understanding? - What role does media play in shaping fear? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated fears is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [“IN ADDITION TO having become a distinctly Christian party, the GOP is more than ever America’s self-consciously white party. 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But the fear is something from within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/just-as-when-we-come-into-the-world-when-we-die-we-are-afraid-of-the-2/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Just as when we come into the world, when we die we are afraid of the unknown. But the fear is something from within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/just-as-when-we-come-into-the-world-when-we-die-we-are-afraid-of-the/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Never let your fear become your reality and your reality your fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proudlesbian/never-let-your-fear-become-your-reality-and-your-reality-your-fear/) ProudLesbian > [The problem with hatred and violence is that they intensity the fears of the white majority, and leave them less ashamed of their prejudices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-problem-with-hatred-and-violence-is-that-they-intensity-the-fears/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [In the South, prior to the Civil Rights movement and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, democracy was the rule. The majority of people were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/in-the-south-prior-to-the-civil-rights-movement-and-the-1964-civil/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [The White Majority is the Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-sahlin/the-white-majority-is-the-problem/) [Mona Sahlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-sahlin/) > [Today's white majority is largely silent about the race question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-baker-motley/today-s-white-majority-is-largely-silent-about-the-race-question/) [Constance Baker Motley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-baker-motley/) > [“If the white majority is racist how can a government it dominates be counted on to redress racial grievances? The question is absurd because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/if-the-white-majority-is-racist-how-can-a-government-it-dominates-be/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [By and large, the theatre establishment is run by a white majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-nottage/by-and-large-the-theatre-establishment-is-run-by-a-white-majority/) [Lynn Nottage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-nottage/) > [Among the many international consequences of Barack Obama's stunning victory in the United States is worldwide introspection about whether such a breakthrough could happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/among-the-many-international-consequences-of-barack-obama-s-stunning/) [Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/) > [The media needs to stop trying to dehumanize Trayvon Martin when they need to focus on why George Zimmerman is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/the-media-needs-to-stop-trying-to-dehumanize-trayvon-martin-when-they/) Enhance Dreams > [Black Lives Matter started from a post that I put on Facebook after the acquittal of George Zimmerman. I woke up in the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-garza/black-lives-matter-started-from-a-post-that-i-put-on-facebook-after/) [Alicia Garza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-garza/) ## More by Patrisse Cullors > [I think our work as movement leaders isn't just about our own visibility but rather how do we make the whole visible. How do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-think-our-work-as-movement-leaders-isn-t-just-about-our-own/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I've been an activist since I was a teenager. I was always curious about what we would now call social justice. I remember just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-ve-been-an-activist-since-i-was-a-teenager-i-was-always-curious/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > ['The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman' is a reminder that people across the world are rebelling against norms and forging new paths for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/the-story-of-us-with-morgan-freeman-is-a-reminder-that-people-across/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Racism has its boot squarely wedged on the neck of black communities, and we don't want to be told that hard work and responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/racism-has-its-boot-squarely-wedged-on-the-neck-of-black-communities/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I don't like how cruel humans can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-don-t-like-how-cruel-humans-can-be/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Trump is literally the epitome of evil, all the evils of this country - be it racism, capitalism, sexism, homophobia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/trump-is-literally-the-epitome-of-evil-all-the-evils-of-this-country/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [We have to look at queerness as a means towards challenging normativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/we-have-to-look-at-queerness-as-a-means-towards-challenging/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [The unfortunate reality is the alt-right has captured white people's imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/the-unfortunate-reality-is-the-alt-right-has-captured-white-people-s/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Since his inauguration, Trump has signed numerous executive orders that negatively impact poor, black and brown, queer, Muslim, and other communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/since-his-inauguration-trump-has-signed-numerous-executive-orders/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I want to see Black Lives Matter be able to ultimately reduce law enforcement funding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-want-to-see-black-lives-matter-be-able-to-ultimately-reduce-law/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Colin Kaepernick is one of the leaders in the movement for black lives. His role as an athlete and activist is not only motivating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/colin-kaepernick-is-one-of-the-leaders-in-the-movement-for-black/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [White people who voted for Trump decided to invest in a president who underwrites white supremacy in the guise of populism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/white-people-who-voted-for-trump-decided-to-invest-in-a-president-who/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [When I was younger, I had these romantic ideas about the Black Panther Party and what it meant to be a part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/when-i-was-younger-i-had-these-romantic-ideas-about-the-black-panther/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I fight to prioritize black mothers and black children because we deserve to live in a world where our healing is centered and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-fight-to-prioritize-black-mothers-and-black-children-because-we/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [Each and every one of us has multiple identities, and this is a fact that should be celebrated. I for example, am a queer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/each-and-every-one-of-us-has-multiple-identities-and-this-is-a-fact/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) [Explore all 100 Patrisse Cullors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) ## More Black people quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Black Privilege is a concrete motive that black people benefit from, such as racism but racism on whites. Black people don't know it but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/black-privilege-is-a-concrete-motive-that-black-people-benefit-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Acknowledging that my skin was, in fact, Cocoa as it is, would have destroyed their narrative about who I really was. Therefore they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitta-xinindlu/acknowledging-that-my-skin-was-in-fact-cocoa-as-it-is-would-have/) [Mitta Xinindlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitta-xinindlu/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/what-would-america-be-like-if-we-loved-black-people-as-much-as-we/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [“Any ministry to black people which is not designed to effect their empowerment is designed to perpetuate their enslavement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-ministry-to-black-people-which-is-not-designed-to-effect-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe's technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-nkosi/all-black-people-who-are-even-minimally-conscious-black-people-who/) [Lewis Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-nkosi/) > [Even during my youth, I can recall very few black people living on any kind of public assistance. People were working, doing some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-smith/even-during-my-youth-i-can-recall-very-few-black-people-living-on-any/) [Ed Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-smith/) > [There is no one American beauty or just one beautiful color in the pantheon, especially in regards to black people - there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/there-is-no-one-american-beauty-or-just-one-beautiful-color-in-the/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) > [Saying women aren't funny is now like saying Asians can't drive or saying black people have bad credit. It's just really, like, so obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-cummings/saying-women-aren-t-funny-is-now-like-saying-asians-can-t-drive-or/) [Whitney Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-cummings/) > [It's so Canada. On some level, you laugh, but on another level, it's just depressing. 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