--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men are not the enemy, and we have to be…" description: "\"Men are not the enemy, and we have to be clear about that.\" — Tarana Burke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/tarana-burke-7738_about_men-are-not-the-enemy-and-we-have-to-be_1642887.jpg" --- # Men are not the enemy, and we have to be clear about that. ![“Men are not the enemy, and we have to be clear about that.” quote by Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/tarana-burke-7738_about_men-are-not-the-enemy-and-we-have-to-be_1642887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/tarana-burke-7738_about_men-are-not-the-enemy-and-we-have-to-be_1642887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/tarana-burke-7738_about_men-are-not-the-enemy-and-we-have-to-be_1642887.jpg) > “Men are not the enemy, and we have to be clear about that.” [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights that men should not be viewed as adversaries, urging clarity in gender discussions. **In simple terms:** Men aren't the enemy; be clear. Key Takeaway Promote inclusive dialogue. Themes eity gender relations communication Mood thoughtful assertive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - community workshops - policy debates - education programs Key Concepts social justice misconceptions Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster mutual respect? - What language clarifies allyship? A Different Perspective Some may feel dismissed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-great-enemy-of-clear-language-is-insincerity/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-greatest-enemy-of-clear-language-is-insincerity/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Oh God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/oh-god-that-men-should-put-an-enemy-in-their-mouths-to-steal-away/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains!" - Cassio (Act II, Scene iii)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-god-that-men-should-put-an-enemy-in-their-mouths-to-steal-away-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't think men are the enemy. I think women are the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-allen/i-don-t-think-men-are-the-enemy-i-think-women-are-the-enemy/) [Lily Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-allen/) > [Frederick liked to say that three men behind the enemy were worth fifty in front of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardant-du-picq/frederick-liked-to-say-that-three-men-behind-the-enemy-were-worth/) [Ardant du Picq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardant-du-picq/) > [The enemy is not men. The enemy is the concept of patriarchy, the concept of patriarchy as the way to run the world or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/the-enemy-is-not-men-the-enemy-is-the-concept-of-patriarchy-the/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [The enemy of the black is not the white. The enemy of capitalist is not communist, the enemy of homosexual is not heterosexual, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-enemy-of-the-black-is-not-the-white-the-enemy-of-capitalist-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Men are the enemy in much the same way that some crazed boy in uniform was the enemy of another like him in most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/men-are-the-enemy-in-much-the-same-way-that-some-crazed-boy-in/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [“Men, the enemy troops you can see are all that stands between us and the place we have for so long been determined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophon/men-the-enemy-troops-you-can-see-are-all-that-stands-between-us-and/) [Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophon/) > [Men are not the enemy, but the fellow victims. The real enemy is women's denigration of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/men-are-not-the-enemy-but-the-fellow-victims-the-real-enemy-is-women/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [We should cease thinking about men as the enemy of children and women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/we-should-cease-thinking-about-men-as-the-enemy-of-children-and-women/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but by God, they frighten me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-what-effect-these-men-will-have-upon-the-enemy-but-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/othello/o-god-that-men-should-put-an-enemy-in-their-mouths-to-steal-away/) [Othello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/othello/) > [I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-used-to-fight-the-pain-but-recently-this-became-clear-to-me-pain-is/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More by Tarana Burke > [The young girls of color that first encountered the 'me too' movement in community centers and classrooms and church basements were there not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/the-young-girls-of-color-that-first-encountered-the-me-too-movement/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [When you truly empathize with someone, you have to take into account all the things that make that person who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/when-you-truly-empathize-with-someone-you-have-to-take-into-account/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [I think that Me Too is for everybody. I think it's important that people feel validated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/i-think-that-me-too-is-for-everybody-i-think-it-s-important-that/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [When the #MeToo movement started and went viral, it was everyday people all around the world. The fact that the stories continue to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/when-the-metoo-movement-started-and-went-viral-it-was-everyday-people/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [The work is more than just about the amplification of survivors and quantifying their numbers. The work is really about survivors talking to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/the-work-is-more-than-just-about-the-amplification-of-survivors-and/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Social media is not a safe space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/social-media-is-not-a-safe-space/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [I'm grounded in joy; I'm not grounded in the trauma anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/i-m-grounded-in-joy-i-m-not-grounded-in-the-trauma-anymore/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > ['Me too' became a term that was both succinct and powerful, and it was a way to ring up immediate empathy between survivors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/me-too-became-a-term-that-was-both-succinct-and-powerful-and-it-was-a/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > ['Me too' was just two words; it's two magic words that galvanised the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/me-too-was-just-two-words-it-s-two-magic-words-that-galvanised-the/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Get up. Stand up. Speak up. Do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/get-up-stand-up-speak-up-do-something/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Anita Hill thanklessly put herself and her career as a law professor on the line more than 25 years ago to publicly name Clarence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/anita-hill-thanklessly-put-herself-and-her-career-as-a-law-professor/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Foundations have to think outside the box and maybe expand past the usual suspects that get all of the funding and start thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/foundations-have-to-think-outside-the-box-and-maybe-expand-past-the/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Everybody has a lane. Everybody has something that they can contribute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/everybody-has-a-lane-everybody-has-something-that-they-can-contribute/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [We all have the right to an opinion, sure, but can we say how someone else should feel?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/we-all-have-the-right-to-an-opinion-sure-but-can-we-say-how-someone/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [What's interesting to me is that people engage survivors from a place of pity all the time - a place of sympathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/what-s-interesting-to-me-is-that-people-engage-survivors-from-a-place/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) [Explore all 88 Tarana Burke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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