--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To believe that the United States is…" description: "\"To believe that the United States is post-racial requires an almost incomprehensible inability or unwillingness to stare truth in the face.\" — Tim Wise" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg" --- # To believe that the United States is post-racial requires… ![“To believe that the United States is post-racial requires an almost incomprehensible inability or unwillingness to stare truth in the face.” quote by Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg) > “To believe that the United States is post-racial requires an almost incomprehensible inability or unwillingness to stare truth in the face.” [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Claiming America is post‑racial ignores evident systemic inequities and avoids confronting reality. **In simple terms:** Denial of racism hides truth. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address systemic bias. Themes racism denial social justice Mood critical urgent Type political activist When to use this quote - policy making - education curricula - media representation - community dialogue Key Concepts critical race theory implicit bias Questions to Reflect On - What evidence contradicts post‑racial claims? - How can we foster honest dialogue? A Different Perspective Some argue progress has been made, risking complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face/) [Inability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inability/) [Inability Unwillingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inability-unwillingness-5884473/) [Incomprehensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomprehensible/) [Incomprehensible Inability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomprehensible-inability-5884472/) [Post Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-racial-640422/) [Racial Requires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial-requires-5884471/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Requires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires/) [Stare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stare/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Unwillingness Stare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwillingness-stare-5884470/) ## Related quotes > [It's hard to say when or if we will actually arrive at that place called 'post-racial', or, better yet, post-racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/it-s-hard-to-say-when-or-if-we-will-actually-arrive-at-that-place/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Being asked to describe what 'post-racial' means is a bit like being asked to describe a leprechaun, cold fusion or unicorns: we know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/being-asked-to-describe-what-post-racial-means-is-a-bit-like-being/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [We are not post-racial. And in many ways we don't even know how to have a conversation about being post-racial. Until we get out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/we-are-not-post-racial-and-in-many-ways-we-don-t-even-know-how-to/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [The problem with most liberals - myself included - is we tend to think we're post-racial: that we've got a handle on things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/the-problem-with-most-liberals-myself-included-is-we-tend-to-think-we/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [The first thing that Black Lives Matter had to do was remind people that racism existed in this country because when we had Obama,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/the-first-thing-that-black-lives-matter-had-to-do-was-remind-people/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [“The next bus pole was halfway up the block. Three black women, two white women, and a Hispanic man were standing by the post,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-next-bus-pole-was-halfway-up-the-block-three-black-women-two/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I think "post-racial" is a dangerous trap. You can fall into complacency and give your complicity a much more dangerous character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-boesak/i-think-post-racial-is-a-dangerous-trap-you-can-fall-into-complacency/) [Allan Boesak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-boesak/) > [The enormous success of 2009's 'The Blind Side,' in which Sandra Bullock makes a black teenager one of the family, demonstrates that America isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/the-enormous-success-of-2009-s-the-blind-side-in-which-sandra-bullock/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [The promise of Obama's presidency, in many people's minds, is partly that America will move toward becoming a post-racial society. It's pretty clear, though,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/the-promise-of-obama-s-presidency-in-many-people-s-minds-is-partly/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [This is how the great post-partisan, post-racial, New Politics presidency ends - not with a bang, not with a whimper, but with a desperate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/this-is-how-the-great-post-partisan-post-racial-new-politics/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [In spite of what some people claim, we are not in a post-racial era. I think it's still an important issue to bring up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-jamal-warner/in-spite-of-what-some-people-claim-we-are-not-in-a-post-racial-era-i/) [Malcolm-Jamal Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-jamal-warner/) > [The only people who live in a post-black world are four people who live in a little white house on Pennsylvania Avenue. The idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-only-people-who-live-in-a-post-black-world-are-four-people-who/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [I'm the face of post racial America, deal with it Cate Blanchett.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-m-the-face-of-post-racial-america-deal-with-it-cate-blanchett/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [I dream of a post-racial society that is not categorized by the color of their skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/i-dream-of-a-post-racial-society-that-is-not-categorized-by-the-color/) [Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/) > [Today in America we are no more 'post-racial' than we are 'post-partisan.' We have a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-granholm/today-in-america-we-are-no-more-post-racial-than-we-are-post-partisan/) [Jennifer Granholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-granholm/) ## More by Tim Wise > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Progress is always relative: to the oppressed, it can only be viewed as an all or nothing deal - if oppression continues, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/progress-is-always-relative-to-the-oppressed-it-can-only-be-viewed-as/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I don't think the job of the antiracist is to convert the far-out heathen racist, or give them their 'come to Jesus' moment, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/i-don-t-think-the-job-of-the-antiracist-is-to-convert-the-far-out/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [And in "Elbow Room" the cast sings the glories of westward expansion in the United States, which involved the murder of native peoples and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/and-in-elbow-room-the-cast-sings-the-glories-of-westward-expansion-in/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [If we dont figure out a way to create equity, real equity, of opportunity and access, to good schools, housing, health care, and decent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/if-we-dont-figure-out-a-way-to-create-equity-real-equity-of/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [So, in "Melting Pot" the children (about a third of whom were kids of color) sang the line, "America was the new world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/so-in-melting-pot-the-children-about-a-third-of-whom-were-kids-of/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Hardly any aspect of my life, from where I had lived to my education to my employment history to my friendships, had been free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/hardly-any-aspect-of-my-life-from-where-i-had-lived-to-my-education/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [People of color have to do this work as a mater of everyday survival. And so long as they have to, who am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/people-of-color-have-to-do-this-work-as-a-mater-of-everyday-survival/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [You can't organize people if you don't love them. And however hard it can be to love the racist you come in contact with;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/you-can-t-organize-people-if-you-don-t-love-them-and-however-hard-it/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The denial of racism is a form of racism itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/the-denial-of-racism-is-a-form-of-racism-itself/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Being asked to describe what 'post-racial' means is a bit like being asked to describe a leprechaun, cold fusion or unicorns: we know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/being-asked-to-describe-what-post-racial-means-is-a-bit-like-being/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [As a writer, there are times when you have something to say, and yet no particular 'hook' upon which to hang the missive you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/as-a-writer-there-are-times-when-you-have-something-to-say-and-yet-no/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [“The power of resistance is to set an example: not necessarily to change the person with whom you disagree, but to empower the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/the-power-of-resistance-is-to-set-an-example-not-necessarily-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [When you allow racial disparity and institutional inequity to affect one part of the country, eventually it's coming back to get everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/when-you-allow-racial-disparity-and-institutional-inequity-to-affect/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) [Explore all 48 Tim Wise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) ## More Almost quotes > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [It's almost inevitable there's going to be an escalation on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-luther/it-s-almost-inevitable-there-s-going-to-be-an-escalation-on-both-sides/) [Bill Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-luther/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/almost-every-monday-i-have-a-charity-thing-i-like-that-i-do/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Almost immediately, I remember right when Tikrit even fell, a few days after Baghdad fell, there was talks of insurgency, there was talks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farnaz-fassihi/almost-immediately-i-remember-right-when-tikrit-even-fell-a-few-days/) [Farnaz Fassihi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farnaz-fassihi/) > [While it is often true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems like Yahoo's almost obsessive focus on Google is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/while-it-is-often-true-that-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-it/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [I'd had episodes before, but I swept them under the carpet. This time, I couldn't do that because everyone knew. I got on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/i-d-had-episodes-before-but-i-swept-them-under-the-carpet-this-time-i/) [Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/) > [I was hit by a car. I almost died. My show was taken away from me. I was frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/i-was-hit-by-a-car-i-almost-died-my-show-was-taken-away-from-me-i-was/) [Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/) > [With \*NSYNC, we shopped our deal for a year in America, sang a capella in everybody's office, then moved to Germany for almost two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jc-chasez/with-nsync-we-shopped-our-deal-for-a-year-in-america-sang-a-capella/) [JC Chasez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jc-chasez/) [Browse all 1,672 Almost quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To believe that the United States is post-racial requires an almost incomprehensible inability or unwillingness to stare truth in the face.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tim Wise" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-post-racial-requires-an-almost/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Almost" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-post-racial-requires-an-almost/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/tim-wise-14074_almost_to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-pos_2378827.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To believe that the United States is post-racial requires an almost incomprehensible inability or…” — Tim Wise", "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": "Tim Wise", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To believe that the United States...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-post-racial-requires-an-almost/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/to-believe-that-the-united-states-is-post-racial-requires-an-almost/#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 } } ] } ```