--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone in the street where I grew up…" description: "\"Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same message: You can be anything; you can do anything. That wasn't extraordinary; that was ordina..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg" --- # Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same… ![“Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same message: You can be anything; you can do anything. That wasn't extraordinary; that was ordinary for us. My folks didn't believe in black exceptionalism. There's nothing exceptional about 'You can have that, too' - except when it comes to…” quote by Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg) > “Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same message: You can be anything; you can do anything. That wasn't extraordinary; that was ordinary for us. My folks didn't believe in black exceptionalism. There's nothing exceptional about 'You can have that, too' - except when it comes to justice. You can't have that.” [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He grew up hearing limitless possibilities, but systemic injustice shows not all can achieve them. **In simple terms:** Dreams meet reality of injustice. Key Takeaway Recognize structural barriers. Themes justice aspiration inequality Mood thoughtful motivational Type social documentary When to use this quote - education reform - community activism - policy change Key Concepts systemic racism social mobility Questions to Reflect On - How can we bridge promise and reality? - What role does community play? A Different Perspective May seem overly optimistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) ## Related quotes > [“there is no inconsistency whatsoever between the election of Barack Obama to the highest office in the land and the existence of a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/there-is-no-inconsistency-whatsoever-between-the-election-of-barack/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [The success of the few does not excuse the caste-like system that exists for many. In fact, black exceptionalism - the high-profile, highly visible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-success-of-the-few-does-not-excuse-the-caste-like-system-that/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Wasn’t it extraordinary to be in the world right now, wandering around in a wonderful adventure!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/wasn-t-it-extraordinary-to-be-in-the-world-right-now-wandering-around/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [American exceptionalism? Exceptional at what? Waging wars against innocent people for fake reasons? Exceptional at what? Being addicted to pharmaceutical drugs that have people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/american-exceptionalism-exceptional-at-what-waging-wars-against/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [It wasn't because they had extraordinary powers, really, but because of how well they used the ordinary powers everyone had: the power of courage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-duprau/it-wasn-t-because-they-had-extraordinary-powers-really-but-because-of/) [Jeanne DuPrau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-duprau/) > [It's a deft trick to turn American exceptionalism into an exceptional political tactic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/it-s-a-deft-trick-to-turn-american-exceptionalism-into-an-exceptional/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [We're raised to believe that black men have to be one specific way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-sanders/we-re-raised-to-believe-that-black-men-have-to-be-one-specific-way/) [Ashton Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-sanders/) > [I believe in 'Black' as much as I believe in 'Bajirao Mastani.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-leela-bhansali/i-believe-in-black-as-much-as-i-believe-in-bajirao-mastani/) [Sanjay Leela Bhansali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-leela-bhansali/) > [... we ought even to hold as a fixed principle that what I see white I believe to be black, if the superior authorities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/we-ought-even-to-hold-as-a-fixed-principle-that-what-i-see-white-i/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [There are those who believe Black people possess the secret of joy and that it is this that will sustain them through any spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/there-are-those-who-believe-black-people-possess-the-secret-of-joy/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I spent 12 years of my life writing stories without black people. That's insane to me. It's insane that I could have believed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-adeyemi/i-spent-12-years-of-my-life-writing-stories-without-black-people-that/) [Tomi Adeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-adeyemi/) > [Color television! Bah, I won't believe it until I see it in black and white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/color-television-bah-i-won-t-believe-it-until-i-see-it-in-black-and/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [“a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/a-loyal-willingness-to-say-that-black-is-white-when-party-discipline/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I embrace my darker skin - always have, always will. In addition, I believe black women have always been trailblazers and trendsetters. Acknowledgement or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-skye/i-embrace-my-darker-skin-always-have-always-will-in-addition-i/) [Justine Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-skye/) > [Myself, I believe that black theatre continues to evolve, and the success of writers like Bola Agbaje and Rachel De-lahay is proof that fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harewood/myself-i-believe-that-black-theatre-continues-to-evolve-and-the/) [David Harewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harewood/) ## More by Yance Ford > [Instincts are a really important guide for any artist, but particularly filmmakers because it takes a lot to stay true to your instincts as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/instincts-are-a-really-important-guide-for-any-artist-but/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [My brother's death picked up my life and put it down somewhere else. I had an image of myself in my mind as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/my-brother-s-death-picked-up-my-life-and-put-it-down-somewhere-else-i/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [What 'Strong Island' does is bring a historical perspective and help people understand that what we're treating as a modern-day phenomenon is actually not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/what-strong-island-does-is-bring-a-historical-perspective-and-help/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [Violence against the other, and the way we otherize people out of fear, has to be examined across the board.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/violence-against-the-other-and-the-way-we-otherize-people-out-of-fear/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [There is nothing quite as exciting as watching a master at work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/there-is-nothing-quite-as-exciting-as-watching-a-master-at-work/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [People come up and say, 'Thank you' for showing a black family loving their masculine-presenting child and for undoing the myth of black people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/people-come-up-and-say-thank-you-for-showing-a-black-family-loving/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [My impression is that the Academy is really sincere about moving toward a more inclusive and representative Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/my-impression-is-that-the-academy-is-really-sincere-about-moving/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [I have been gender-nonconforming my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/i-have-been-gender-nonconforming-my-entire-life/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [If I can help one family embrace their child and not displace them and throw them out, I'm happy about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/if-i-can-help-one-family-embrace-their-child-and-not-displace-them/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [If my making history makes it easier for a trans kid at home somewhere to feel more at home in their skin, then I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/if-my-making-history-makes-it-easier-for-a-trans-kid-at-home/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [It would be easier for people to grasp that gender, sex, and sexual orientation are different things if we had as much imagination in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/it-would-be-easier-for-people-to-grasp-that-gender-sex-and-sexual/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [It would have been tough for anyone to adapt 'Push' - an amazing but wrenching novel by Sapphire - for the screen, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/it-would-have-been-tough-for-anyone-to-adapt-push-an-amazing-but/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [I worked at 'POV' for five years before I told one person about my brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/i-worked-at-pov-for-five-years-before-i-told-one-person-about-my/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > ['Strong Island' has been a labor of love and dedication on the part of so many people, that it's just an incredible recognition to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/strong-island-has-been-a-labor-of-love-and-dedication-on-the-part-of/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [Grief is a very complicated monster. There's no real exorcising of it. It has a different form every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/grief-is-a-very-complicated-monster-there-s-no-real-exorcising-of-it/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) [Explore all 48 Yance Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same message: You can be anything; you can do anything. That wasn't extraordinary; that was ordinary for us. My folks didn't believe in black exceptionalism. There's nothing exceptional about 'You can have that, too' - except when it comes to justice. You can't have that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yance Ford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-was-given-the-same-message-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-was-given-the-same-message-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/yance-ford-14023_believe_everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-w_2952616.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everyone in the street where I grew up was given the same message: You can be anything; you can do anything…” — Yance Ford", "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": "Yance Ford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everyone in the street where I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-was-given-the-same-message-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/everyone-in-the-street-where-i-grew-up-was-given-the-same-message-you/#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 } } ] } ```