--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Til I was about eight or nine, I had no…" description: "\"Til I was about eight or nine, I had no awareness he was anybody special. Since all our friends were in the movement, I thought what Daddy did was natu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/yolanda-king-14018_awareness_til-i-was-about-eight-or-nine-i-had-no-a_92506.jpg" --- # Til I was about eight or nine, I had no awareness he was… ![“Til I was about eight or nine, I had no awareness he was anybody special. Since all our friends were in the movement, I thought what Daddy did was natural. Everybody went to jail, right? Then, one day some kids at school called my daddy a jailbird, and it upset me. That was the beginning of my…” quote by Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/yolanda-king-14018_awareness_til-i-was-about-eight-or-nine-i-had-no-a_92506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/yolanda-king-14018_awareness_til-i-was-about-eight-or-nine-i-had-no-a_92506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c02/yolanda-king-14018_awareness_til-i-was-about-eight-or-nine-i-had-no-a_92506.jpg) > “Til I was about eight or nine, I had no awareness he was anybody special. Since all our friends were in the movement, I thought what Daddy did was natural. Everybody went to jail, right? Then, one day some kids at school called my daddy a jailbird, and it upset me. That was the beginning of my awareness.” [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Childhood innocence masked the reality of a parent’s criminal involvement until social labeling revealed it. **In simple terms:** Awareness sparked by stigma. Key Takeaway Labels can awaken hidden truths. Themes family stigma awareness social perception Mood insightful somber Type narrative sociological When to use this quote - discussions on criminal justice - parent‑child relationship studies - cultural sociology classes Key Concepts identity formation Practical Applications - educational curricula - community outreach Questions to Reflect On - How do societal labels shape personal identity? - What impact does early exposure to stigma have on development? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [Wow, so much of the way I've transacted my life... so much of the results that I'm happy about are because of what Daddy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/wow-so-much-of-the-way-i-ve-transacted-my-life-so-much-of-the-results/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [What you thought was your daddy was nothin' but a...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-jam/what-you-thought-was-your-daddy-was-nothin-but-a/) [Pearl Jam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-jam/) > [I never knew my father, which explains the Clint thing. He called himself Daddy... I loved it then, because it filled a great void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondra-locke/i-never-knew-my-father-which-explains-the-clint-thing-he-called/) [Sondra Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sondra-locke/) > [Will Ferrell and I are teaming up again on a film called Daddy's Home. In the movie I play a Special-Ops soldier who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/will-ferrell-and-i-are-teaming-up-again-on-a-film-called-daddy-s-home/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [“Daddy, why did God kill all those children?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-haward/daddy-why-did-god-kill-all-those-children/) Joseph Haward > [I have such strong memories of my Daddy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-have-such-strong-memories-of-my-daddy/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [Your daddy is a wine, and your mommy's quite insane. From altar boy to sewer rat, you don't give a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megadeth/your-daddy-is-a-wine-and-your-mommy-s-quite-insane-from-altar-boy-to/) [Megadeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megadeth/) > [“One thing I always admired about Daddy was the way he could bounce back from adversity. From the very beginning of his life, he’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-k-campbell/one-thing-i-always-admired-about-daddy-was-the-way-he-could-bounce/) L.K. Campbell > [I will never be your father. But when ever you need a Dad/Daddy that is what I am here for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-deeves/i-will-never-be-your-father-but-when-ever-you-need-a-dad-daddy-that/) Mike Deeves > [You two faced threw your teeth u ain't nun but babe daddy go wash your feet go with the girl u so call sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherrykee/you-two-faced-threw-your-teeth-u-ain-t-nun-but-babe-daddy-go-wash/) Cherrykee > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I love you mommy. 'I don't have any money, try your dad.' I love you daddy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-you-mommy-i-don-t-have-any-money-try-your-dad-i-love-you-daddy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Daddy always said the only thing worth begging for was your life, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe sometimes your love is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/daddy-always-said-the-only-thing-worth-begging-for-was-your-life-but/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [To the newcomer to the south, hearing that a coworker plans a weekend visit to 'mama and them's' (the correct plural possessive, don'tchaknow), might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/to-the-newcomer-to-the-south-hearing-that-a-coworker-plans-a-weekend/) [Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/) > [I use all my skills that I can muster up, but the fun thing is that I find some untapped skills every once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-use-all-my-skills-that-i-can-muster-up-but-the-fun-thing-is-that-i/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) ## More by Yolanda King > [I know that no matter what is said about Martin the King Jr., what he contributed, what he gave, what he meant, what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-know-that-no-matter-what-is-said-about-martin-the-king-jr-what-he/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [My father was bigger than life, an entity and everyone expected us, as his offspring, to be saintettes, these little carbon copies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/my-father-was-bigger-than-life-an-entity-and-everyone-expected-us-as/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [At 16, I went to Smith College in Massachusetts and that was right after the peak of the civil-rights movement and all the rest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/at-16-i-went-to-smith-college-in-massachusetts-and-that-was-right/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [I try to understand people who do violence. I try to understand what they are feeling and experiencing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-try-to-understand-people-who-do-violence-i-try-to-understand-what/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [I wrote my first play when I was eight. It was about a queen, and I - of course! - was the queen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-wrote-my-first-play-when-i-was-eight-it-was-about-a-queen-and-i-of/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [I am an artist with very strong social and political concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-am-an-artist-with-very-strong-social-and-political-concerns/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [I have such strong memories of my Daddy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-have-such-strong-memories-of-my-daddy/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [What we need to do is learn to respect and embrace our differences until our differences don't make a difference in how we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/what-we-need-to-do-is-learn-to-respect-and-embrace-our-differences/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [A feeling of self worth is the best accomplishment we can foster in our prisons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/a-feeling-of-self-worth-is-the-best-accomplishment-we-can-foster-in/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [We must celebrate difference until difference doesn't make a difference in the way we treat each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/we-must-celebrate-difference-until-difference-doesn-t-make-a/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [And you don't have to be a preacher to carry on. That's why I've gone into the theater, with my mother's blessings, and someday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/and-you-don-t-have-to-be-a-preacher-to-carry-on-that-s-why-i-ve-gone/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [You see, for the most part it was a normal upbringing. Sure, there was the Nobel Peace award; sure, there were people coming to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/you-see-for-the-most-part-it-was-a-normal-upbringing-sure-there-was/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [To do peace, you must get up off your apathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/to-do-peace-you-must-get-up-off-your-apathy/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [My mother supported me from the beginning and never said you should be an activist or civil rights leader or minister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/my-mother-supported-me-from-the-beginning-and-never-said-you-should/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) > [As soon as people heard me speak, they would compare me to my father. My siblings had the same kind of pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/as-soon-as-people-heard-me-speak-they-would-compare-me-to-my-father/) [Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) [Explore all 48 Yolanda King quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [I know the importance of highly trained awareness of the “moment” and the immediate and intuitive response of the photographer. It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) Vashti Quiroz-Vega > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. 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