--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember one time being told I could…" description: "\"I remember one time being told I could not play in a basketball game at the College of William and Mary because I was black, even though I was playing ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/walter-dean-myers-2582_army_i-remember-one-time-being-told-i-could-n_735503.png" --- # I remember one time being told I could not play in a… ![“I remember one time being told I could not play in a basketball game at the College of William and Mary because I was black, even though I was playing with a United States Army team.” quote by Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/walter-dean-myers-2582_army_i-remember-one-time-being-told-i-could-n_735503.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/walter-dean-myers-2582_army_i-remember-one-time-being-told-i-could-n_735503.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/walter-dean-myers-2582_army_i-remember-one-time-being-told-i-could-n_735503.png) > “I remember one time being told I could not play in a basketball game at the College of William and Mary because I was black, even though I was playing with a United States Army team.” [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator recounts being barred from a basketball game due to racism, highlighting systemic discrimination in sports. **In simple terms:** He was denied play because of his race despite qualifications. Key Takeaway Challenge and expose racial injustice. Themes racism sports civil rights education Mood defiant inspirational Type historical motivational When to use this quote - school athletics - civil rights activism - historical analysis Key Concepts institutional bias personal resilience team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How did this experience shape his future? - What steps can institutions take to prevent such bias? A Different Perspective Individual stories may not capture broader systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Basketball game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-game/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-basketball/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [United states army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states-army/) ## Related quotes > [“An Army is a team. It lives sleeps eats and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/an-army-is-a-team-it-lives-sleeps-eats-and-fights-as-a-team-this/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > [You can put your whole army against my team and I guarantee you it'll be your very last time breathin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mobb-deep/you-can-put-your-whole-army-against-my-team-and-i-guarantee-you-it-ll/) [Mobb Deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mobb-deep/) > [My boys told me they'd rather play than practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smith/my-boys-told-me-they-d-rather-play-than-practice/) [Jimmy Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smith/) > [I was told I could play at the top long before I realised I could. A few people told me that. 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If I can do both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/i-am-very-much-interested-in-getting-parents-to-read-to-children-and/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/we-need-to-tell-kids-flat-out-reading-is-not-optional/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [We need to tell young people that America was built by men and women of all colors and that the future of this country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/we-need-to-tell-young-people-that-america-was-built-by-men-and-women/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [“Sometimes everybody touches in the dark. 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