Reginald VelJohnson Quotes

We're conditioned in this country to believe that if there's a problem, the black man is usually the culprit.

I've always been a fan of issues around race and racialism, and I've loved playing with it. People act as though it isn't an issue, but it's a recurring theme in our lives globally.

You always make a film with the hope that all types of people will want to see your work and that it doesn't matter about your color, but unfortunately it still does.

Prejudice hasn't changed to this day, not in golf. Maybe in other sports.

I'd heard he was good, and what the hell sense does it make not to hire somebody because of their color?

None of us is responsible for the complexion of his skin. This fact of nature offers no clue to the character or quality of the person underneath.

White people scare the crap out of me... I have never been attacked by a black person, never been evicted by a black person, never had my security deposit ripped off by a black landlord, never had a black landlord... never been pulled over by a black cop, never been sold a lemon by a black car salesman, never seen a black car salesman, never had a black person deny me a bank loan, never had a black person bury my movie, and I've never heard a black person say, "We're going to eliminate ten thousand jobs here— have a nice day

The whole issue of race and discrimination is a moral issue.

The broad brush of stereotyping is what least appeals to people of color.

Hollywood's racist.

I don't want my daughter to ever feel that she can't do something because of her skin colour.

When I came into this industry, was there racism? Yes.

Not every cop is bad, not every white person is bad or racist.

Here's a fact: I absolutely understand the humiliation of being stopped for no reason other than driving while black.

We've all had some level of injustice, whether 20 years in prison, or 20 minutes sitting in your car waiting for a police officer to determine your future. Or even a few moments in an elevator with some woman clutching her purse thinking you're going to rob her ¾ regardless of celebrity, that has happened to me.

Two people will never be President in my lifetime. A woman and a black.

If women were in charge of everything, there would be women tyrants. If black people were in charge, there would be black tyrants. If Hispanics were in charge, then Hispanic tyrants.

People think I'm this angry black man walking around in a constant state of rage.

Every now and then I'm in a situation where someone doesn't recognize me, and I experience racism. Things like not being buzzed into a store or sitting in first class on a plane and having someone ask to see my ticket four times.

There's sort of a persistent misperception that talking about race is black folk's burden. Ultimately, only men can end sexism, and only white people can end racism.

Unfortunately, the people of Louisiana are not racists.

You can't delete racism. It's like a cigarette. You can't stop smoking if you don't want to, and you can't stop racism if people don't want to. But I'll do everything I can to help.

I don't think because I hang out with enough black people, I'm gonna turn black. What kind of rationalization is that? I'm just friends with people that I like. I don't care what skin color you are.

I mean, the unfair treatment of women and black people and Indians and other groups, that's real. Mistreatment of other people because 'I'm better than you are' is such a sad part of the world.

I'm not going to sit here now and say 'do this,' or 'do that.' But you must - must - expunge any vestige of racism.