Kimberle Williams Crenshaw Quotes

Race in America is not a problem you can go over, or around or under. You've got to go through it.

If you're black in America, race is a factor in your life. Start with that assumption.

If you write about race in 1850, you end up talking about race today because in many ways, so little has changed.

Black people cannot look to government to solve their problems.

To believe that the United States is post-racial requires an almost incomprehensible inability or unwillingness to stare truth in the face.

We simply cannot insist that race should not matter when everything in life argues that it does.

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

The race question in America has often been about race, but it has equally often been about power.

I wanted to remind myself and others of the old Jim Crow, so that we can remind ourselves that we're still living in the new Jim Crow. I feel it's important to dress in the fashion of the times.

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

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

We question these issues of race and struggle and white privilege because we know that those issues are real and because those issues have real implications in black communities. And white supremacy is not only dangerous, but it is deadly.

So people thought once Obama got into office that racism was over with. But, what we ended up learning was that it just came more into the light.

This is the United States of America and unfortunately, race still matters to a lot of people. The evil head of racism doesn't hide, it sticks its head up.

I say we haven't ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.

The patterns have become unmistakable and undeniable. ... We have to come to terms with some hard truths about race and justice in America.

The only reason race matters is because of racism.

We still have to struggle against the impact of racism, but it doesn't happen in the same way. I think it is much more complicated today than it ever was.

Telling me that I’m obsessed with talking about racism in America is like telling me I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning.

I'll always remember the phrase of my husband: "Racism is never surprising, but it is always disappointing." Anytime I see it or I feel it, that quote comes back. This is something that has to be constantly talked about in order to be changed.

I fully understand that the African-American community has suffered from discrimination and that there are many wrongs that must still be made right.

Racism is cruel and unjust. It cuts deep and lingers long in individual and community memories. And it is not a thing of the past....We all have a duty to do what we can to turn this around.

However, while we should certainly celebrate the demise of overt official racism, we must also critically examine where we are at this historical moment, recognize the many challenges ahead and reaffirm our commitment to making Brown v. Board a reality.

As I often say, we have come a long way from the days of slavery, but in 2014, discrimination and inequality still saturate our society in modern ways. Though racism may be less blatant now in many cases, its existence is undeniable.

The black community sees itself as one group, and they are all experiencing the same experiences as a group with racism and whatnot, growing up in this country.