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White Quotes

Honest reflections on identity and race.

This collection gathers personal reflections on racial identity, including memories of growing up in a mostly separate community and the ongoing search for roles that were written with a different actor in mind. It connects to broader conversations in our Black quotes.

Page one of any economic plan to get America working is to give a pink slip to the current resident in the White House.

Quotes by Rick Perry

There was nobody at the time who was playing slide guitar like Johnny, and nobody, or no white guys at least, that was playing country blues like that on the acoustic guitar. And it was at that point that I...

Quotes by Rick Derringer

I don't understand why everyone has to wear black, grey and white.

Quotes by Richard Rogers

Only white men have the luxury of ignoring race.

Quotes by Richard Powers

When people are making up stories about Bob Mueller on Fox News and those get traction in congressional committees and in the White House, at a certain point, I've got to say no.

Quotes by Richard Painter

If ethics is limited to financial conflicts of interest - that's really what I did in the Bush White House - that's a huge problem for me because Trump refused to sell his businesses. We don't know where he's getting...

Quotes by Richard Painter

The last fight for the white metal is to be made here in this country and in this House, my friends.

Quotes by Richard Parks Bland

White House staff are meant to coordinate and set policy, not carry it out.

Quotes by Richard N. Haass

There will be no whitewash in the White House.

Quotes by Richard M. Nixon

Americans are inclined to see the world and foreign affairs in black and white.

Quotes by Richard Kerry

Federal employees are public servants, not partisan foot soldiers for President Obama, and shouldn't have to decide whether a partisan White House request can be ignored without consequences.

Quotes by Richard Grenell

Most people in Washington assumed if Obama made it to the White House he would appoint Biden as his secretary of state, a position Biden openly admitted he wanted.

Quotes by Richard Grenell

It must be remembered that the Bush White House has a separate talent for character assassination that must not be confused with a talent for governance.

Quotes by Richard Dreyfuss

Mausoleum air and anguished pauses: If this production were a poem, it would be mostly white space.

Quotes by Richard Corliss

Trump is in the White House, fulminating on Twitter, messing up foreign policy, mistaking critics for enemies, refusing to immediately and unequivocally condemn neo-Nazis, racists, and other assorted goons - and, in general, failing to provide the nation with a...

Quotes by Richard Cohen

I met Clinton during her husband's first campaign for the White House. It was 1992, New Hampshire, and both Clintons had stopped at a coffee shop to greet the folks and get something to eat.

Quotes by Richard Cohen

Secretary Clinton has dramatically changed the face of U.S. foreign policy globally for the good. But I wish she had been unleashed more by the White House.

Quotes by Richard Armitage

I would be surprised to see the White House scaling back on anything. That would be an admission they are operating from a position of weakness.

Quotes by Rich Galen

So my mom's folks are from one side of Greensboro - and, you know, outside of Greensboro. And my dad's folks, the white side, is from another very small town outside of Greensboro. So both sides are coming from the...

Quotes by Rhiannon Giddens

My dad's white, my mom's black, and I've struggled with being mixed race.

Quotes by Rhiannon Giddens

Frequently Asked Questions

What perspectives does this collection of White quotes offer?
These are genuine personal reflections on race, identity, and belonging: growing up in a Cherokee family that lived apart from white neighbors, aspiring to the kind of range actors like Denzel Washington or Jodie Foster get, noticing casual racism secondhand among friends, and a play on words about moving between very different worlds. If you're interested in complementary perspectives, our Black collection is a natural next stop.
Is there a quote about growing up with a segregated experience?
Yes — one quote recalls, "I came from a family that was pretty insularly Cherokee. We kept to ourselves - the white people were there, and we were here, and it was practically a segregated kind of thing." It's a direct, personal account of a divided community growing up.
Is there a quote about aspiring to the kind of roles typically written for white actors?
There is. One quote shares an aspiration "to find scripts written for white actors - or Jodie Foster, who reads scripts for male actors," citing Denzel Washington as an example of someone who does this. It's a thoughtful reflection on range and opportunity in acting.
Is there a quote about experiencing racism secondhand?
Yes — one quote describes it plainly: "My encounters with racism are sort of second-hand situations where I might be standing around with a group of white friends and someone makes a comment that they wouldn't make at my family reunion." It's an honest, specific account rather than a general statement about race relations.
Is there a quote that plays with the phrase 'White House'?
Yes — one quote uses wordplay to make a point about identity: "I can dine at the White House, but I can still hang at the 'hood." It's a clever line about moving comfortably between very different worlds. For a related contrast, see our Black And White collection, or our House collection for more on the word 'house.'

One entry describes a secondhand brush with a racist remark made among friends, a moment worth reading alongside our Black And White quotes, while a lighter closing line plays on the phrase White House, tying into our House quotes.