Amber Ruffin > Quotes

“The thought of someone believing you deserve fewer rights because of who you are is depressing. But then you realize that, by doing what you do every day, you prove to them you are unstoppable. They can spend their time trying to pass laws to take away your rights and silence your voice, but all you have to do is live your lives right in their faces, and it proves you simply cannot be stopped.”
― Amber Ruffin

“It's kind of my duty to have fun if you think about it, because at any time I could get murdered by the police.”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“I have never been able to understand why white people have such a low tolerance for hearing about racism. I mean, we have to live it! The least you could do is nod your head.”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“There are worse stories than this and better ones. The reaction always varies because you can only put up with what you can put up with when you can put up with it.”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“We are not into trying to educate white America, but may we accidentally did. Maybe white readers learned that just because your Black friends aren't sitting you down, going over all their trauma with you, doesn't mean it doesn't exist!”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“This woman makes sure that I know that there will be no repercussions for anything I say. She lets me know exactly what would happen to the person if we found them. She asks a million questions. “Has anyone ever said anything suspicious to you at work? Has anyone ever been mean to you at work? Have you ever gotten into it with anybody at work? Has anyone ever been inappropriate at work?” She gives me a million opportunities to take a long, hard look at how I am treated at work, and it leads me to one conclusion: I am spoiled to a hilarious degree. She follows up with a phone call later in the week to make sure that I’m sure that I’m sure. I couldn’t believe it. She did such a good job. I’ve certainly been at places where I would’ve killed to have someone like her around. It is so crazy that this woman is the opposite of Lacey’s HR woman. The thought of someone being racist had this lady ready to go off! I loved her. I felt so well taken care of.”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“Lacey’s being a shoplifter sure comes as a surprise to me because I know her and she would rather lose an eye than break the rules. And not only does neither of us have the ability to shoplift, but if Mom ever thought we were shoplifting, we would have to straight-up find a new family. She would explain that her love for you was purely biological at this point and throw you into the sea. If you made it to shore safely, you could live, but not with her.”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“We want to use this book to make sure people understand that when something racist happens to you, you can say it. You can feel however it makes you feel and you can talk to people about it. You have the right. It can hit you however it hits you at that exact moment. You can express your feelings about it or not, or just tell the story and leave your feelings out, or just say your feelings and leave the story out - it's your world. There's a billion studies about why you should speak positively, mediate, how to handle loss, and stuff like that, but when it comes to how to live in a country made to abuse you, who the fuck knows. So do what you feel.”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“A lot of the time, when you deal with cops, it’s not only your job to do what they say, it’s your job to de-escalate the situation. A”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“There is no motivation for this action. It seems like this story is missing a part because people just aren’t this nonsensically cruel. But where you see no motivation, you understand racism a little more. It’s this weird, unprovoked lashing-out, and it never makes any sense. It’s why it’s so easy for people to believe the police when they beat someone up--because no one would be that cruel just because the person was Black. But they are!”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“(Just kidding.)”
― Amber Ruffin, You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism

“I think, when a white person accused of racism cries, people think, Oh no. I need to fix this. White people shouldn't cry. They should never have to cry! I think when white people see white people cry, they relate and feel sorry for them. And when white people see Black people cry, they can't relate. Even though black people have a billion things to cry about. Maybe it just boils down to the fact that white vulnerability is valuable and Black vulnerability puts the Black person in danger.”
― Amber Ruffin