--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Black people in America have to, for…" description: "\"Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it.\" — Randall Robinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/randall-robinson-16024_america_black-people-in-america-have-to-for-thei_3194352.png" --- # Black people in America have to, for their own protection… ![“Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it.” quote by Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/randall-robinson-16024_america_black-people-in-america-have-to-for-thei_3194352.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/randall-robinson-16024_america_black-people-in-america-have-to-for-thei_3194352.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/randall-robinson-16024_america_black-people-in-america-have-to-for-thei_3194352.png) > “Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it.” [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Black individuals develop protective behaviors as a response to systemic threats, leading to exhaustion. **In simple terms:** People create defenses against racism, which can be draining. Key Takeaway Recognize and address systemic sources of stress. Themes racism psychology resilience Mood frustrated hopeful Type social commentary motivational When to use this quote - personal relationships - community activism - mental health - stress management Key Concepts defense mechanisms racial trauma coping strategies Questions to Reflect On - How can communities foster safe spaces without overburdening individuals? - What systemic changes could reduce the need for such defenses? A Different Perspective These defenses can also reinforce isolation if not balanced with support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Defense mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-mechanism/) [Defense mechanisms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-mechanisms/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [Christianity has a built-in defense system: anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument is, is the work of Satan by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/christianity-has-a-built-in-defense-system-anything-that-questions-a/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [When I was younger, I was reticent to be vulnerable on camera and everything I was doing was just a really finely honed defense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/when-i-was-younger-i-was-reticent-to-be-vulnerable-on-camera-and/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [When I first started comedy, before I kind of gained any national prominence, I - in a weird way - went back to that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-kasher/when-i-first-started-comedy-before-i-kind-of-gained-any-national/) [Moshe Kasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-kasher/) > [The thing is too that when you sell people a false reality and they take that to be the norm, when that false reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/the-thing-is-too-that-when-you-sell-people-a-false-reality-and-they/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [We often engage the defense mechanism of tunnel vision, just to keep ourselves focused on our daily lives. This makes us terribly jaded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/we-often-engage-the-defense-mechanism-of-tunnel-vision-just-to-keep/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Without comedy as a defense mechanism I wouldn't be able to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-shandling/without-comedy-as-a-defense-mechanism-i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-survive/) [Garry Shandling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-shandling/) > [With comedy, a lot of people develop their sense of humor as a defense mechanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/with-comedy-a-lot-of-people-develop-their-sense-of-humor-as-a-defense/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [My way of dealing with the world has always been to make fun of it and observe it but not take part in it.That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/my-way-of-dealing-with-the-world-has-always-been-to-make-fun-of-it/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [I've never known a Philadelphian who wasn't a downright 'character'; possibly a defense mechanism resulting from the dullness of their native habitat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-loos/i-ve-never-known-a-philadelphian-who-wasn-t-a-downright-character/) [Anita Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-loos/) > [I laugh when I see people in pain. 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I belittle someone with verbal pokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-vogel/when-my-wife-and-i-met-i-couldn-t-talk-to-her-and-my-defense/) [Mike Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-vogel/) > [Capital requires protection, as do the institutions through which it operates. As capital expands its operations, the state that is associated with its protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/capital-requires-protection-as-do-the-institutions-through-which-it/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [The nerves of the skin send pain signals to the brain to warn us of the danger from and impending injury. In the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levenkron/the-nerves-of-the-skin-send-pain-signals-to-the-brain-to-warn-us-of/) [Steven Levenkron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levenkron/) ## More by Randall Robinson > [I'm aware that because America is so powerful - with its tentacles reaching out to the world - one doesn't escape it by leaving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/i-m-aware-that-because-america-is-so-powerful-with-its-tentacles/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [Democracy requires that if you who don't like the outcome of elections you have to tolerate it and then pursue your interest the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/democracy-requires-that-if-you-who-don-t-like-the-outcome-of/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/black-people-in-america-have-to-for-their-own-protection-develop-a/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [Whites have more than eleven times the net worth or wealth of African Americans. They make greater salaries. Our unemployment rate is twice theirs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/whites-have-more-than-eleven-times-the-net-worth-or-wealth-of-african/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [“Unbalanced power poisons introspection. In its vacated space lay living society's imperative questions, unseen, unphrased, unasked, unanswered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/unbalanced-power-poisons-introspection-in-its-vacated-space-lay/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [I think people involved with institutions find it harder to know the time to go than the time to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/i-think-people-involved-with-institutions-find-it-harder-to-know-the/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [I've never had any trouble opposing people I've been close to. I've never worried about offending or bothering people I feel strongly about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/i-ve-never-had-any-trouble-opposing-people-i-ve-been-close-to-i-ve/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [Reagan was conservative, but he didn't approach global management with an unbending religious zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/reagan-was-conservative-but-he-didn-t-approach-global-management-with/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [The whole future of America's black community is at risk. One out of every three young black men in Washington, D.C., is under one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/the-whole-future-of-america-s-black-community-is-at-risk-one-out-of/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [I don't know of any situation where you're going to have an officeholder in a country of eight million people who's cut off at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/i-don-t-know-of-any-situation-where-you-re-going-to-have-an/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [We all have to die, and I preferred to have just one death. It seems to me that to suffer insult without response is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/we-all-have-to-die-and-i-preferred-to-have-just-one-death-it-seems-to/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [I got a chance to be in a society where the barriers between classes - social and economic - are not insuperable, where money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/i-got-a-chance-to-be-in-a-society-where-the-barriers-between-classes/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [I've always thought I had pretty good instincts for people. 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One out of every eight prisoners in the world is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/the-u-s-has-the-largest-prison-population-in-the-world-two-million/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) [Explore all 41 Randall Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) ## 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! 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