--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in a racially imbalanced society…" description: "\"We live in a racially imbalanced society and we always have been. Black people have been traditionally disenfranchised and abused and misused in this c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg" --- # We live in a racially imbalanced society and we always… ![“We live in a racially imbalanced society and we always have been. Black people have been traditionally disenfranchised and abused and misused in this country. It's nothing new.” quote by Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg) > “We live in a racially imbalanced society and we always have been. Black people have been traditionally disenfranchised and abused and misused in this country. It's nothing new.” [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial imbalance and historic oppression of Black people persist. **In simple terms:** Racial injustice continues. Key Takeaway Advocate for equity and systemic change. Themes race justice history Mood serious determined Type activist educational When to use this quote - education - policy reform - community organizing - media representation Key Concepts civil rights social equity Questions to Reflect On - How can you support racial equity? - What actions can you take locally? A Different Perspective Change requires collective effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ## Related quotes > [“She was right about one thing: the harm in the world is done by those who feel disenfranchised and abused. Contented people (as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/she-was-right-about-one-thing-the-harm-in-the-world-is-done-by-those/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [We live in an imbalanced society when it comes to encouraging male sexuality and discouraging female sexuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/we-live-in-an-imbalanced-society-when-it-comes-to-encouraging-male/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [You cannot collectively, as a society, decide that you are only going to represent one part of a minority. It's like saying you've represented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-gavaris/you-cannot-collectively-as-a-society-decide-that-you-are-only-going/) [Jordan Gavaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-gavaris/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) ## More by Simone Missick > [I think that it takes a special person to still feel like themselves after losing a limb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/i-think-that-it-takes-a-special-person-to-still-feel-like-themselves/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [Knowing that I was the first version of Misty Knight, a character that was created 40 years ago is one thing. But now knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/knowing-that-i-was-the-first-version-of-misty-knight-a-character-that/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [I look at some of the amazing actors that we celebrate today, who are leading their own shows and movies and writing and directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/i-look-at-some-of-the-amazing-actors-that-we-celebrate-today-who-are/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [The billboard for 'All Rise' is in the same area where I used to wait tables when I first got to L.A. I'll take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/the-billboard-for-all-rise-is-in-the-same-area-where-i-used-to-wait/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [There's that thing where every actor is like, 'I want to be the lead' and I certainly had that written on my vision boards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/there-s-that-thing-where-every-actor-is-like-i-want-to-be-the-lead/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [How could you continue to do something for 10 years and continue to believe in yourself if you didn't have a certain level of empowerment?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/how-could-you-continue-to-do-something-for-10-years-and-continue-to/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [I know I'm very dissatisfied with the way I see law enforcement in my community, but I didn't go off and become a cop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/i-know-i-m-very-dissatisfied-with-the-way-i-see-law-enforcement-in-my/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [When I auditioned, her name was Missy and she was a cop. And that's all I knew. I didn't know that it was Misty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/when-i-auditioned-her-name-was-missy-and-she-was-a-cop-and-that-s-all/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [COVID is a real thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/covid-is-a-real-thing/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [I am the level-headed person in my family and with my husband, I am the first one to say 'sorry' in order to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/i-am-the-level-headed-person-in-my-family-and-with-my-husband-i-am/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [I was just interested in playing a character that was flawed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/i-was-just-interested-in-playing-a-character-that-was-flawed/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [Any opportunity to show two strong women on screen I welcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/any-opportunity-to-show-two-strong-women-on-screen-i-welcome/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [If you don't enjoy the journey, you're not going to be happy once you get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/if-you-don-t-enjoy-the-journey-you-re-not-going-to-be-happy-once-you/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [I was captain of my varsity basketball team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/i-was-captain-of-my-varsity-basketball-team/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) > [One of the things that is always hard for actors on set - and it doesn't matter at what stage you're in - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/one-of-the-things-that-is-always-hard-for-actors-on-set-and-it-doesn/) [Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) [Explore all 79 Simone Missick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/) ## 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. We pride ourselves: We're not like the bad old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-backhouse/it-s-so-canada-on-some-level-you-laugh-but-on-another-level-it-s-just/) [Constance Backhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-backhouse/) [Browse all 1,587 Black people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We live in a racially imbalanced society and we always have been. Black people have been traditionally disenfranchised and abused and misused in this country. It's nothing new.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Simone Missick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society-and-we-always-have-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society-and-we-always-have-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/simone-missick-8674_black-people_we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society_151654.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We live in a racially imbalanced society and we always have been. Black people have been traditionally…” — Simone Missick", "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": "Simone Missick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We live in a racially imbalanced...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society-and-we-always-have-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/we-live-in-a-racially-imbalanced-society-and-we-always-have-been/#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 } } ] } ```