--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think our everyday coded language…" description: "\"I think our everyday coded language around 'good neighborhoods' and 'bad neighborhoods' is what allows for tremendous violence to happen... When you la..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/robin-diangelo-10183_bad_i-think-our-everyday-coded-language-arou_1872931.jpg" --- # I think our everyday coded language around 'good… ![“I think our everyday coded language around 'good neighborhoods' and 'bad neighborhoods' is what allows for tremendous violence to happen... When you label a neighborhood 'bad' and avoid it, then you don't know and don't see what goes on there. And there's no human face to interrupt that narrative.” quote by Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/robin-diangelo-10183_bad_i-think-our-everyday-coded-language-arou_1872931.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/robin-diangelo-10183_bad_i-think-our-everyday-coded-language-arou_1872931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/robin-diangelo-10183_bad_i-think-our-everyday-coded-language-arou_1872931.jpg) > “I think our everyday coded language around 'good neighborhoods' and 'bad neighborhoods' is what allows for tremendous violence to happen... When you label a neighborhood 'bad' and avoid it, then you don't know and don't see what goes on there. And there's no human face to interrupt that narrative.” [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labeling neighborhoods as “good” or “bad” hides their humanity and fuels violence. **In simple terms:** Stigmatizing areas erases people and fuels harm. Key Takeaway Avoid harmful labels. Themes social justice urban studies violence Mood concerned urgent Type social activist When to use this quote - urban planning - community policing - media reporting - public policy Key Concepts sociology critical race theory media studies Questions to Reflect On - How can we humanize all neighborhoods? - What policies reduce stigma while improving safety? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify complex social dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-neighbor/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [If you don't visit the bad neighborhoods, the bad neighborhoods are going to visit you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/if-you-don-t-visit-the-bad-neighborhoods-the-bad-neighborhoods-are/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [If you are born poor, whether white or black, you are going to be in a bad neighborhood and go to a bad school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/if-you-are-born-poor-whether-white-or-black-you-are-going-to-be-in-a/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [“As a 2011 Brookings Institution study found, “compared to 2000, residents of extreme-poverty neighborhoods in 2005–09 were more likely to be white, native-born, high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/as-a-2011-brookings-institution-study-found-compared-to-2000/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [Of course, no one should be trapped in bad schools or bad neighborhoods. No one. But I think we need to be asking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/of-course-no-one-should-be-trapped-in-bad-schools-or-bad/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“other words, bad neighborhoods no longer plague only urban ghettos; the bad neighborhoods have spread to the suburbs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/other-words-bad-neighborhoods-no-longer-plague-only-urban-ghettos-the/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [Growing up in bad neighborhoods, you see and experience a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prodigy/growing-up-in-bad-neighborhoods-you-see-and-experience-a-lot/) [Prodigy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prodigy/) > [“So you need an alarm system because you gonna be in bad neighborhoods?" "Actually, I sort of stole a car, and I'm afraid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/so-you-need-an-alarm-system-because-you-gonna-be-in-bad-neighborhoods/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [“compared to 2000, residents of extreme-poverty neighborhoods in 2005–09 were more likely to be white, native-born, high school or college graduates, homeowners, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/compared-to-2000-residents-of-extreme-poverty-neighborhoods-in-2005/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [I want to take Negroes out of the ghetto and put them in good neighborhoods in good houses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-want-to-take-negroes-out-of-the-ghetto-and-put-them-in-good/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We make a mistake when we stereotype neighborhoods as 'bad' and not worth our attention or investment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/we-make-a-mistake-when-we-stereotype-neighborhoods-as-bad-and-not/) [Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/) > [I live in a neighborhood so bad that you can get shot while getting shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/i-live-in-a-neighborhood-so-bad-that-you-can-get-shot-while-getting/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [My neighborhood is so bad. This is how we have to order at the drive-thru if we wanna stay alive...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/my-neighborhood-is-so-bad-this-is-how-we-have-to-order-at-the-drive/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [ Today I live in the suburbs, in a neighborhood \[that's not\] too bad. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-thug/today-i-live-in-the-suburbs-in-a-neighborhood-that-s-not-too-bad/) [Young Thug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-thug/) > [It seemed like a nice neighborhood to have bad habits in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/it-seemed-like-a-nice-neighborhood-to-have-bad-habits-in/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) ## More by Robin DiAngelo > [We whites who position ourselves as liberal often opt to protect what we perceive as our moral reputationsrather than recognize or change our participation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/we-whites-who-position-ourselves-as-liberal-often-opt-to-protect-what/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [Denying that race matters is irrational in the face of segregation and all of the other forms of obvious racial inequity in society... Maintaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/denying-that-race-matters-is-irrational-in-the-face-of-segregation/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [White people are very wily when it comes to race. We will do everything that we can to get out from under the idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/white-people-are-very-wily-when-it-comes-to-race-we-will-do/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [This is what I have learned: Any white person living in the United States will develop opinions about race simply by swimming in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/this-is-what-i-have-learned-any-white-person-living-in-the-united/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [Most white people cannot answer the question, 'What does it mean to be white?' with any depth or complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/most-white-people-cannot-answer-the-question-what-does-it-mean-to-be/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [A fundamental but very challenging part of my work is moving white people from an individual understanding of racism - i.e. only some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/a-fundamental-but-very-challenging-part-of-my-work-is-moving-white/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [For a lot of white people, just suggesting that being white has meaning will trigger a deep, defensive response. And that defensiveness serves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/for-a-lot-of-white-people-just-suggesting-that-being-white-has/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [Whites often respond defensively when linked to other whites as a group or 'accused' of collectively benefiting from racism, because as individuals, each white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/whites-often-respond-defensively-when-linked-to-other-whites-as-a/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [As a social concept, 'white' is profound in its meaning. It means people who either come from or appear to come from Europe, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/as-a-social-concept-white-is-profound-in-its-meaning-it-means-people/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [This is one of the most effective adaptations of racism over time - that we can think of racism as only something that individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/this-is-one-of-the-most-effective-adaptations-of-racism-over-time/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [Like a nontechnical user trying to understand a technical problem, our racial illiteracy limits our ability to have meaningful conversations about race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/like-a-nontechnical-user-trying-to-understand-a-technical-problem-our/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [Human beings can only make sense of the world through the lens they were socialized to make sense of it through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/human-beings-can-only-make-sense-of-the-world-through-the-lens-they/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/white-people-in-north-america-live-in-a-social-environment-that/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [“It has taken me many years of intensive study and practice to be able to recognize and articulate how I am shaped by being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/it-has-taken-me-many-years-of-intensive-study-and-practice-to-be-able/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [White consciousness is deeply anti-black, and that's for progressives and conservatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/white-consciousness-is-deeply-anti-black-and-that-s-for-progressives/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) [Explore all 67 Robin DiAngelo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. 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So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think our everyday coded language around 'good neighborhoods' and 'bad neighborhoods' is what allows for tremendous violence to happen... When you label a neighborhood 'bad' and avoid it, then you don't know and don't see what goes on there. 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