Natasha Trethewey Quotes

I come from an interracial family: My father is from Nigeria, and so he is African-American, and my mother is American and white, so I rarely see skin color. It's never an issue for me.

When I was young I was one of the second generation of black people in Holland. My father was the first. My mother was white, and living with a black man at that time and having a how-you-say half-caste boy is not easy.

I think what I came through is great, but my son can take it to another level, not having to fight racism. His mother's a Norwegian and I'm mixed up four or five times, so he can face the world.

No one tells every white person in this country how to be. No one tells every Hispanic, or Asian or Jewish person in this country how to be. There is no single definition of whiteness or single definition of blackness.

The first thing I ever heard about Barack Obama was that he had a white mother and a black father. Interestingly, the person who informed me of this spoke only matter-of-factly, with no hint of the gossip's wicked delight.

I married an Asian. I have eight biracial children, therefore I'm quite certain that I'm the last person that could be called a racist.

I think the race situation is getting better as far as people respecting each other goes. I think the race situation with entertainment is not that much better.

Perhaps we shall also have to hold in check other coloured peoples who will soon be in their certain prime, and thus preserve the world, which is the world of our blood, of our children and of our grandchildren.

If we dismiss from our minds the prejudice we may have against the Indians we shall be able to more clearly understand the impulses that govern both races.

I loved the fact that Obama is multi-racial. I thought that was terrific, as my wife is the same racial make-up.

The Negro has been here in America since 1619, a total of 344 years. He is not going anywhere else; this country is his home. He wants to do his part to help make his city, state, and nation a better place for everyone, regardless of color and race.

Being biracial is sort of like being in a secret society. Most people I know of that mix have a real ability to be in a room with anyone, black or white.

I find myself frequently introducing myself to someone, saying that, you know, I've grown up black and biracial in the United States.

It's amazing that people still feel, 'Oh my gosh, it's a black guy.' We've been here for a long time; let's get used to it. Let's get used to other cultures.

When you're a little kid, you don't see color, and the fact that my friends were black never crossed my mind. It never became an issue until I was a teenager and started trying to rap.

I think it's something that needs to be said - that there are interracial marriages out there, and the couples live happy lives, and there's nothing wrong with it.

A president can ask for reconciliation in the racial conflict that divides Americans. But reconciliation comes only from the hearts of people.

There is no scientific reason why there should not be intermarriage between two human beings who happen to be of different race or color …. The determination of any white person not to have children with Negro, Chinese, or Irish blood is a desire which demands respect. In like manner, the tastes of others, no matter how few or many, who disagree, demand equal respect…. The determination of any white person not to have children with Negro, Chinese, or Irish blood is a desire which demands respect. In like manner, the tastes of others, no matter how few or many, who disagree, demand equal respect.

Integration would lead to miscegenation, which will destroy our white race eventually.

Colored people come in all colors.

My whole life is an interracial relationship! It's inescapable. I am who I am.

I think being biracial is a different experience. I think that, and coming from the U.K., I feel as much white as I do black. And so it's really important for me to address these issues of identity in my work. But also, you know, we're always stronger when we work on, you know, what we have in common. And I love exploring that in my work.

I can tell you that anyone who knows me knows that there is not a racial bone in my body.

Miscegenation is not an idea that we would have in the Caribbean. It wouldn't come up because anybody could marry anybody, you know. I'm not saying that there aren't prejudices in the Caribbean, but the idea of the word 'miscegenation' is not something that we think of.

One of the things that Americans, as a multiracial society, feel is a tremendous sensitivity to racial comments of all kinds.