James A. Forbes Quotes

Racism is something that is taught. We, as a people, need to work to get past that.

Black reporters are as capable of racism as anyone else.

We know that we're not supposed to be racially biased, and we don't want to think of ourselves as racially biased, so we tell ourselves a different story.

If we are going to teach the world not to hate the other, then we will have to start with children.

A smart black guy is confronting for most people. But that's on them, not on me.

Racism has a very quick expiration date when exposed to actual contact with people.

Behavior is individual and projecting an individual behavior upon an entire race is a version of racism. Put yourself in someone else's shoes: imagine what it would be like going thru life having this type of projection on you.

We all, white and black, carry various biases around with us.

As a black man, sometimes you can't tell if what you're seeing has underlying bigotry, or it's a normal conversation and you're being paranoid. That dynamic in itself is unsettling. I admit sometimes I see race and racism when its not there.

This is really honest: I have to remind myself not to look another black man as a threat.

When I was pitching 'Power,' I had an executive say, 'Well, I already have a black show.' He said that right to my face.

I've not experienced racism from other players. Not once. You experience ignorance but that's not the same at all, and I'm always happy to discuss things. If that helps people learn about Islam, to learn there's nothing to fear, then great, that's all part of my role.

Consider prejudice. Once a person begins to accept a stereotype of a particular group, that "thought" becomes an active agent, "participating" in shaping how he or she interacts with another person who falls in that stereotyped class. In turn, the tone of their interaction influences the other person's behaviour. The prejudiced person can't see how his prejudice shapes what he "sees" and how he acts. In some sense, if he did, he would no longer be prejudiced. To operate, the "thought" of prejudice must remain hidden to its holder

(Stereotyping) is only for those without the imagination to see people as they are instead of being like someone else they understand.

We beg you to save young America from the blight of race prejudice. Do not bind the children within the narrow circles of your own lives.

You can have all of the laws and protection in place, but how do you get rid of homophobia? This is something that the U.S. is going to have to deal with.

Growing up in Michigan, I can't think of anything so explicitly communicated to me in my whole education experience as the vileness of in-your-face racism.

Race prejudice can't be talked down, it must be lived down.

I can be standing in Barneys with my coat and purse and my selections, and some white woman will say, 'Can you get this in my size?' What she sees is a black woman, and her service button goes off.

It's no surprise that White people say things when they are together about Black people.

I am trained, and I did do 'The Nutcracker' in its right form, but at the time, they told me I was black and I'd never be in 'Swan Lake.' I went through all those prejudices in the ballet community, and I still emerged wonderfully trained and found my way to Alvin Ailey where there were familiar faces.

No one is born hating others.

The hardest thing I had to overcome in life? I think racism. That's so difficult because I don't think anyone can ever understand it. It's not that people don't want to understand it, but they don't want to touch it.

I had this stereotypical view that black people apart from me probably threw stones and lived in huts.

Being Asian in this business is something you have to consider, because sometimes people aren't as open. They'll say, I can't see you with a Caucasian person.