--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we need in America is a renaissance…" description: "\"What we need in America is a renaissance. We need to go forward by going backward.\" — Stanley Crouch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/stanley-crouch-16415_america_what-we-need-in-america-is-a-renaissance_1725042.jpg" --- # What we need in America is a renaissance. We need to go… ![“What we need in America is a renaissance. We need to go forward by going backward.” quote by Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/stanley-crouch-16415_america_what-we-need-in-america-is-a-renaissance_1725042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/stanley-crouch-16415_america_what-we-need-in-america-is-a-renaissance_1725042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e76/stanley-crouch-16415_america_what-we-need-in-america-is-a-renaissance_1725042.jpg) > “What we need in America is a renaissance. We need to go forward by going backward.” [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America should revive past cultural achievements to progress, blending tradition with innovation. **In simple terms:** Revive old ideas to move forward. Key Takeaway Study history to inspire future growth. Themes history innovation culture Mood analytical optimistic Type cultural criticism philosophy When to use this quote - education reform - artistic movements - political discourse Key Concepts renaissance cyclical progress Questions to Reflect On - What past ideas are still relevant? - How can tradition and modernity coexist? A Different Perspective Relying on past may ignore current challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Renaissance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-renaissance-1375146/) [Going Backward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-backward-739904/) [Need America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-america-420624/) [Need Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-forward-539646/) [Renaissance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renaissance/) [Renaissance Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renaissance-need-1375147/) ## Related quotes > [To implement a true urban renaissance, you first need a Grand Design elaborated by strong leadership .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-mori/to-implement-a-true-urban-renaissance-you-first-need-a-grand-design/) [Minoru Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minoru-mori/) > [I do think environmental writers need to be forward thinking, not just lamenting our losses. We do need to lament; in some ways it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-hawthorne-deming/i-do-think-environmental-writers-need-to-be-forward-thinking-not-just/) [Alison Hawthorne Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-hawthorne-deming/) > [Other people need to be forward thinkers. Not just basketball players. Not just people in the sports world. But people in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-mccollum/other-people-need-to-be-forward-thinkers-not-just-basketball-players/) [C. J. McCollum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-mccollum/) > [I would love to tell you this country is on the cusp of coming together, but it isn't. But I can tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tester/i-would-love-to-tell-you-this-country-is-on-the-cusp-of-coming/) [Jon Tester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tester/) > [However painful or regrettable Brexit may be, it will not stop the E.U. as it moves to the future; we need to move forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/however-painful-or-regrettable-brexit-may-be-it-will-not-stop-the-e-u/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [“What done is done. We need to move forward”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/what-done-is-done-we-need-to-move-forward/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [A person can only take so much before they realize they just need to move forward and not look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-person-can-only-take-so-much-before-they-realize-they-just-need-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We don't want to get distracted by looking back; we need to move forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/we-don-t-want-to-get-distracted-by-looking-back-we-need-to-move/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [WHAT WE NEED IN AMERICA TODAY IS A VIGOROUS RETURN TO THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS AND A MOST VIGOROUS DEFENSE AGAINST THE MINION…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-edgar-hoover/what-we-need-in-america-today-is-a-vigorous-return-to-the-god-of-our/) [J. Edgar Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-edgar-hoover/) > [This is about Americans getting off the sidelines and getting onto the playing field, .. This is about each and every one of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/this-is-about-americans-getting-off-the-sidelines-and-getting-onto/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We need one America - one that includes housing, education, jobs, access to capital, and economic inclusion for every American. This will create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-allen/we-need-one-america-one-that-includes-housing-education-jobs-access/) [Byron Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-allen/) > [The American people know that we need - America needs - to be strong for the world to be safe and for the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-american-people-know-that-we-need-america-needs-to-be-strong-for/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [“The country craved change, even when it didn't need it. America was an entire nation suffering from attention deficit disorder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-walsh/the-country-craved-change-even-when-it-didn-t-need-it-america-was-an/) [Michael Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-walsh/) > [I didn't even need America, I was so popular outside the country, until the prosecutin' attorney came from Washington, and said, judge, we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-didn-t-even-need-america-i-was-so-popular-outside-the-country-until/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I think that's what we really need in America, for people to hear each other. And I think philosophy could do a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-c-nussbaum/i-think-that-s-what-we-really-need-in-america-for-people-to-hear-each/) [Martha C. Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-c-nussbaum/) ## More by Stanley Crouch > [I also wanted to do something that I hadn't really seen in almost any black novels, which was a complex love story in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/i-also-wanted-to-do-something-that-i-hadn-t-really-seen-in-almost-any/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Getting to the pint where the other is not the enemy is a big leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/getting-to-the-pint-where-the-other-is-not-the-enemy-is-a-big-leap/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [The discussion of ideas as opposed to the American narcissistic obsession with what's going on with the self, that's the general thing people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/the-discussion-of-ideas-as-opposed-to-the-american-narcissistic/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [When people conclude that all is futile, then the absurd becomes the norm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/when-people-conclude-that-all-is-futile-then-the-absurd-becomes-the/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [“It may sound cruel...but...what makes a criminal is a disposition toward cruelty, a laziness and impatience that lead to taking from others, and cynicism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/it-may-sound-cruel-but-what-makes-a-criminal-is-a-disposition-toward/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [I wanted to get to that aesthetic proposition that comes out of learning the human elements of a world, so that those notes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/i-wanted-to-get-to-that-aesthetic-proposition-that-comes-out-of/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [ Above all else, \[Benny Goodman\] was a great player, one of the greatest American music has produced. He brought his absolute talent and his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/above-all-else-benny-goodman-was-a-great-player-one-of-the-greatest/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Our democratic richness arrives when we're able to comprehend our collective humanity accurately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/our-democratic-richness-arrives-when-we-re-able-to-comprehend-our/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Our job as writers and thinkers in the time is how to bring about the occasions that let people have that first-person experience -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/our-job-as-writers-and-thinkers-in-the-time-is-how-to-bring-about-the/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [You'd never know that listening to people in the UN but tribalism is the father of racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/you-d-never-know-that-listening-to-people-in-the-un-but-tribalism-is/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [I don't know any women who don't think about what they look like, and I don't know any men who don't think about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/i-don-t-know-any-women-who-don-t-think-about-what-they-look-like-and/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [The high point of civilization is that you can hate me and I can hate you but we develop an etiquette that allows us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/the-high-point-of-civilization-is-that-you-can-hate-me-and-i-can-hate/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Our society has gotten to the point where we might soon become less and less shocked by any kind of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/our-society-has-gotten-to-the-point-where-we-might-soon-become-less/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [When a violent minority that crosses color lines comes to believe that killing those you know or do not know is a reasonable solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/when-a-violent-minority-that-crosses-color-lines-comes-to-believe/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [But the myth of violent solutions as the ultimate solutions maintains itself in much of popular media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/but-the-myth-of-violent-solutions-as-the-ultimate-solutions-maintains/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) [Explore all 40 Stanley Crouch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) ## 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! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What we need in America is a renaissance. 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