Justin Simien Quotes

Every single thing in my life is built around race.

I still think that we have a hesitance to talk about things racial. And I think we do it at our detriment. We go from incident to incident, and we have spikes in which race becomes something that we talk about, as opposed to talking about race in those less contentious times when I think we might make more progress.

It's hard to say when or if we will actually arrive at that place called 'post-racial', or, better yet, post-racism.

As important as the presidency is, that's not the only thing to take a look at in determining the racial health of the United States.

Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about things racial.

There has been, and there will continue to be, vigorous discussions about race in America. I worry that little will come of these discussions because we aren't addressing what must be done to change the current racial climate.

The fact is that racism, despite all the doomsayers, has diminished.

The issue of race could benefit from a period of benign neglect.

I write about race in America in hopes of undermining the notion of race in America.

We need to have a more thoughtful, two-sided conversation about racial issues in this country.

There were some things in my childhood I thought we'd put to sleep. The idea of one race's supremacy over another. I thought the issue of colour would be put to sleep by the time I had a son. And that's maybe why I had a kid so late.

I think we are aware that post-racialism isn't real, right? I mean, I hope so. I kind of joke that we're post-post-racial.

I think "post-racial" is a dangerous trap. You can fall into complacency and give your complicity a much more dangerous character.

You white folks have long been eating the white meat of the chicken. We Negroes are now ready for some of the white meat instead of the dark meat.

I am hopeful about any future for whites in this country, but not entirely optimistic.

America is racial. America was founded on race. Race is America. The code name for America is 'race.'

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.

Traditionally, I have no right to talk about race. I'm white; I didn't grow up in an all-black neighborhood. But the license I see for myself is I'm a member of the world.

I am so used to having two faces. A face that I had for black America and a face for white America. When Obama became president, I lost both faces. Now I only have one face.

When Obama came to power, there was a lot of talk about a post-racial America.

I know black people love the idea that we finally have a beautiful, good-looking black president. But if he is doing awful things to us, we should wake up.

I am of the African race, and in the colour which is natural to them of the deepest dye; and it is under a sense of the most profound gratitude to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe.

Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.

I started a lecture series that was inspired by my reporting on race in America. The 'Black in America' series launched on CNN in 2007 as an opportunity to freshen the national conversation on race.

I'm one of those people who is colour blind to a certain degree. And that doesn't mean I'm not acutely aware of race in our country and abroad and in the world. I know what's going on, and I'm very aware of it.