--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The issue of racism and racial prejudice…" description: "\"The issue of racism and racial prejudice. It is very, very difficult to discuss. It is difficult to discuss the issue of apartheid. Many have made the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/thabo-mbeki-2259_apartheid_the-issue-of-racism-and-racial-prejudice_1793579.jpg" --- # The issue of racism and racial prejudice. It is very, very… ![“The issue of racism and racial prejudice. It is very, very difficult to discuss. It is difficult to discuss the issue of apartheid. Many have made the observation that it is very difficult to find anyone in SA who ever supported apartheid because everyone was opposed, it was against our will and…” quote by Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/thabo-mbeki-2259_apartheid_the-issue-of-racism-and-racial-prejudice_1793579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/thabo-mbeki-2259_apartheid_the-issue-of-racism-and-racial-prejudice_1793579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/thabo-mbeki-2259_apartheid_the-issue-of-racism-and-racial-prejudice_1793579.jpg) > “The issue of racism and racial prejudice. It is very, very difficult to discuss. It is difficult to discuss the issue of apartheid. Many have made the observation that it is very difficult to find anyone in SA who ever supported apartheid because everyone was opposed, it was against our will and so on.” [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racism and apartheid remain hard topics because they expose deep societal wounds and entrenched power structures. **In simple terms:** Talking about racism is painful but necessary. Key Takeaway Address the past to heal. Themes racism history social justice Mood somber determined Type political reflective When to use this quote - education - policy reform - community dialogue - media coverage Key Concepts colonialism systemic inequality Questions to Reflect On - What steps can we take to foster honest conversation? - How can societies balance truth‑telling with reconciliation? A Different Perspective People may resist confronting uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apartheid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apartheid/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Racial prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-prejudice/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [South africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-africa/) ## Related quotes > [It's hard for men sometimes to talk about feminism, just as it's hard for people who aren't from ethnic minorities to talk about racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-t-fagbenle/it-s-hard-for-men-sometimes-to-talk-about-feminism-just-as-it-s-hard/) [O. T. Fagbenle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-t-fagbenle/) > [It is difficult to discuss... history.. it is more difficult to talk about today.. simple things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/it-is-difficult-to-discuss-history-it-is-more-difficult-to-talk-about/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [People say that being a vegan creates a social problem in that others may react negatively. But isnt that the case if you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/people-say-that-being-a-vegan-creates-a-social-problem-in-that-others/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [“To pay attention to the American political process, and what the candidates for this nation’s highest office have to say and not say about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/to-pay-attention-to-the-american-political-process-and-what-the/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Whatever your issue is, whether it's racism or homophobia or policy issues or taxes or urban decay or health care, you're not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/whatever-your-issue-is-whether-it-s-racism-or-homophobia-or-policy/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [The issue of racism happens all over the world. Granted, people - especially Americans - don't know the the Canadian culture. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-james/the-issue-of-racism-happens-all-over-the-world-granted-people/) [Stephan James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-james/) > [“Whether or not any of us become racists is a choice we make. And we are called to choose again and again where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/whether-or-not-any-of-us-become-racists-is-a-choice-we-make-and-we/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“...he found it difficult to discuss any of his activities, which seemed to him no more than the hole through which he was falling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/he-found-it-difficult-to-discuss-any-of-his-activities-which-seemed/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [The idea of spirituality is difficult to discuss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-idea-of-spirituality-is-difficult-to-discuss/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [With art criticism it's difficult to discuss beauty, to assess it, because there's always the possibility that we're insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schjeldahl/with-art-criticism-it-s-difficult-to-discuss-beauty-to-assess-it/) [Peter Schjeldahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schjeldahl/) > [Mysticism is the hidden way. It is the most difficult to discuss, because it involves the exploration of perceptual states which are difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/mysticism-is-the-hidden-way-it-is-the-most-difficult-to-discuss/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I'm a story-oriented critic, sometimes it's difficult to discuss issues without defining them. At the same time, I try not to give away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/since-i-m-a-story-oriented-critic-sometimes-it-s-difficult-to-discuss/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) > [Abortion is emotional and difficult to discuss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-sasse/abortion-is-emotional-and-difficult-to-discuss/) [Ben Sasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-sasse/) > [The questions of traditional and redefined marriage are highly emotional and a difficult and sensitive topic. Living in the D.C. area and having gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/the-questions-of-traditional-and-redefined-marriage-are-highly/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [In the fullness of time, I suspect that bigotry against homosexuals will seem as repugnant as racial prejudice does today. Or so one hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-fullness-of-time-i-suspect-that-bigotry-against-homosexuals/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## More by Thabo Mbeki > [We should never become despondent because the weather is bad, nor should we turn triumphalist because the sun shines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/we-should-never-become-despondent-because-the-weather-is-bad-nor/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [We are not being arrogant or complacent when we are said that our country, as a united nation, has never in its entire history,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/we-are-not-being-arrogant-or-complacent-when-we-are-said-that-our/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [I think that probably the most important thing about our education was that it taught us to question even those things we thought we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/i-think-that-probably-the-most-important-thing-about-our-education/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [What we are saying is that we need to consolidate the capacity to lend support. Because, one of the problems that's mentioned with regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/what-we-are-saying-is-that-we-need-to-consolidate-the-capacity-to/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [I say that why don't we bring all points of view. 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We will be negotiating agreements with India and China. 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We said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/historically-during-the-years-of-the-white-minority-regimes-the-state/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [We want the National Intelligence, we want the Police, we want the Scorpions, any other institutions, the tax people, and so on, the totality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/we-want-the-national-intelligence-we-want-the-police-we-want-the/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) [Explore all 176 Thabo Mbeki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) ## More Apartheid quotes > [My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/my-life-had-been-defined-by-the-apartheid-years-now-we-were-going/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [If apartheid is removed, then the violence that is necessary to maintain it will be removed along with the pressures from apartheid which create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-tambo/if-apartheid-is-removed-then-the-violence-that-is-necessary-to/) [Oliver Tambo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-tambo/) > [I try not to get too political. But coming from South Africa, where apartheid was a huge problem, and there was lots of inequality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-anderson/i-try-not-to-get-too-political-but-coming-from-south-africa-where/) [Kevin Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-anderson/) > [I grew up under Thatcher; the era of apartheid; the era of the poll tax; the era of riots. I remember Neil Kinnock was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/i-grew-up-under-thatcher-the-era-of-apartheid-the-era-of-the-poll-tax/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [When I talk about the end of apartheid, I prefer not to claim the honor that I have ended it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-w-de-klerk/when-i-talk-about-the-end-of-apartheid-i-prefer-not-to-claim-the/) [F. W. de Klerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-w-de-klerk/) > [ We \[ with Brian Mulroney and Rajiv Gandhi\] went to the meeting in Canada \[the 1987 Vancouver CHOGM\] and I said to them there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/we-with-brian-mulroney-and-rajiv-gandhi-went-to-the-meeting-in-canada/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [My time in prison only deepened my resolve against apartheid. Even while I was in prison, I fought against it, teaching my cellmates about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/my-time-in-prison-only-deepened-my-resolve-against-apartheid-even/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [But I think I'm on track to do something even bigger. I liberate minds with my music. That's more important than liberating a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/but-i-think-i-m-on-track-to-do-something-even-bigger-i-liberate-minds/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [The mistake the apartheid government made was they gave the black people nothing, so they had nothing to lose. But now a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/the-mistake-the-apartheid-government-made-was-they-gave-the-black/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [HEAVEN: The big apartheid in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-appleman/heaven-the-big-apartheid-in-the-sky/) [Philip Appleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-appleman/) > [I have no doubt that in the future, the laws that criminalize human love and commitment will look the way the apartheid laws do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/i-have-no-doubt-that-in-the-future-the-laws-that-criminalize-human/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/my-life-had-been-defined-by-the-apartheid-years-now-we-were-going-2/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [The violence associated with the A.N.C. is minimal, infinitesimal next to the violence of the apartheid regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-tambo/the-violence-associated-with-the-a-n-c-is-minimal-infinitesimal-next/) [Oliver Tambo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-tambo/) > [Imagine if your kids had to carry a ladder to climb an apartheid wall to get to school everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-suleiman/imagine-if-your-kids-had-to-carry-a-ladder-to-climb-an-apartheid-wall/) [Omar Suleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-suleiman/) > [The private schools and the independent schools like Oprah's are really doing well because they've got the best of everything but it certainly puts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlayne-hunter-gault/the-private-schools-and-the-independent-schools-like-oprah-s-are/) [Charlayne Hunter-Gault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlayne-hunter-gault/) [Browse all 299 Apartheid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apartheid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The issue of racism and racial prejudice. 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