Eric Holder Quotes

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 do wish that people talked about the subject of race, especially in the South.

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.

Everyone is so terrified of being labeled a racist.

Every single thing in my life is built around race.

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.

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.

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

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

It really bothers me when people say we live in a postracial America.

I do think that people will claim a certain fatigue about talking about race. But I think that even though they do, it's still necessary - completely necessary.

I think race in America is a huge one. That's something that needs to be confronted, certainly.

I did a paper on why is race so uncomfortable to discuss. Is it because you don't want to bring up bad history in America? You want to be conscious of whatever you say about that because it's a serious point.

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

If you don't address race, then people are like, 'Why don't you talk about the elephant in the room?' But you have to do it right. It can't be gimmicky.

Too many people are afraid to talk about the issue of race. We should be willing to address it, and more importantly, when it rears its ugly head, we should be willing to take a stand and try to stomp it out, whatever the action may be at a particular time.

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.

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.

I think sports is one of the places where race plays itself out publicly. Although we pretend it doesn't.

I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African American.

Many people are afraid to talk about race because it's so emotionally loaded. We don't have the vocabulary to talk about it. Every day, our vocabulary seems more and more inadequate.

If acknowledging that racial misgivings and misunderstandings are still a part of politics and life in America, I plead guilty.

I'm a Southerner - I never take satisfaction in touching a nerve. I guess if I'm forced to find a good side, I'm glad that people are talking about an issue that hasn't really been discussed all that much. I'm glad that people are talking about it from the black perspective and the white perspective.

I went to an all white school where I dealt with racism.

Many of the racial problems in America are caused by the fact that people are innately tribal, and politicians know how to exploit that biological fact.