--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American means white, and Africanist…" description: "\"American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with ethnicity and hyphen after hyphen after hyphen.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg" --- # American means white, and Africanist people struggle to… ![“American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with ethnicity and hyphen after hyphen after hyphen.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg) > “American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with ethnicity and hyphen after hyphen after hyphen.” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how racial identities are constructed and constantly redefined, highlighting the struggle to apply broad terms to diverse experiences. **In simple terms:** It discusses the difficulty of fitting complex identities into simple labels. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect the nuance in identity. Themes identity race language culture representation Mood thoughtful critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - academic discourse - activism - personal reflection - media analysis - policy making Key Concepts social constructs intersectionality self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How can we honor individual stories within broader categories? - What alternatives exist to rigid labeling? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify lived experiences, risking erasure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [Black history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-history/) [Black history month](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-history-month/) [Black history month inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-history-month-inspirational/) [Ethnicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethnicity/) [Hyphens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hyphens/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-this-country-american-means-white-everybody-else-has-to-hyphenate/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [People of color understand what it means to be white more than I ever will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/people-of-color-understand-what-it-means-to-be-white-more-than-i-ever/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [“I was successful and acceptable and loved because I was—and still am—great at negotiating with whiteness. But that means my white friends often mistakenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-was-successful-and-acceptable-and-loved-because-i-was-and-still-am/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I'm blue collar, which means white trash with a job. But it also means people who take pride in what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralphie-may/i-m-blue-collar-which-means-white-trash-with-a-job-but-it-also-means/) [Ralphie May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralphie-may/) > [Natural-born American means you don't have to be naturalized. You were born to an American mother, like President Obama, no matter where you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/natural-born-american-means-you-don-t-have-to-be-naturalized-you-were/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [Being an American means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-an-american-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Americanization means the process of becoming an American. It means civic incorporation, becoming a part of the polity - becoming one of us. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/americanization-means-the-process-of-becoming-an-american-it-means/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) > [“The idea of preventive medicine is faintly un-American. It means, first, recognizing that the enemy is us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/1975-chicago-tribune/the-idea-of-preventive-medicine-is-faintly-un-american-it-means-first/) 1975 Chicago Tribune > [Look, if America - if being an American means anything, it means not having to lie under oath, not even for the president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-tripp/look-if-america-if-being-an-american-means-anything-it-means-not/) [Linda Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-tripp/) > [If you call yourself an American that means that you have embraced the constitution, because that is what an American is. A citizen of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-ritter/if-you-call-yourself-an-american-that-means-that-you-have-embraced/) [Scott Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-ritter/) > [Being American means you never have to say you surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/being-american-means-you-never-have-to-say-you-surrender/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Knowing what must be done does away with fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/knowing-what-must-be-done-does-away-with-fear/) [Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/) > [Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/never-be-limited-by-other-people-s-limited-imaginations/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Unconditional love will have the final word in reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/unconditional-love-will-have-the-final-word-in-reality/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More African american quotes > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. If I am moved or forced away from what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-agreed-a-long-time-ago-i-would-not-live-at-any-cost-if-i-am-moved/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [“This popularity extended to Trump himself, who, according to private demographic research conducted at the time, was even more popular with African American and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/this-popularity-extended-to-trump-himself-who-according-to-private/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I know I'm more forgiving than most African Americans when it comes to second chances for White people who not only commit a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-more-forgiving-than-most-african-americans-when-it-comes/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [I think it's easier for African American and white comics to be praised than it is Latinos because they think our culture or our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lopez/i-think-it-s-easier-for-african-american-and-white-comics-to-be/) [George Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lopez/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. 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And show them that we can get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/i-m-just-trying-to-touch-the-world-and-touch-the-people-and-just-get/) [Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/) [Browse all 1,848 African american quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with ethnicity and hyphen after hyphen after hyphen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Toni Morrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/american-means-white-and-africanist-people-struggle-to-make-the-term/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "African american" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/american-means-white-and-africanist-people-struggle-to-make-the-term/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/198/toni-morrison-271_african-american_american-means-white-and-africanist-peop_2562527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with…” — Toni Morrison", "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": "Toni Morrison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "American means white, and Africanist people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/american-means-white-and-africanist-people-struggle-to-make-the-term/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/american-means-white-and-africanist-people-struggle-to-make-the-term/#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 } } ] } ```