Black History Inspirational Quotes:

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

- Langston Hughes

source: "Dreams" l. 1 (1929)

topic: Love, Inspirational, Broken Heart, Inspirational Dream, Columnists

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.

- Booker T. Washington

source: Booker T. Washington (1901). “An Autobiography: The Story of My Life and Work, the Original Brought Up-to-date with Over Half a Hundred Full Page Photo and Halftone Engravings and Drawings by Frank Beard”

topic: Inspirational, Life, Success, Best Success, Inspirational History

We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world, void of national bias, race, hate, and religious prejudice. There should be no indulgence in undue eulogy of the Negro. The case of the Negro is well taken care of when it is shown how he has far influenced the development of civilization.

- Carter G. Woodson

source: Carter G. Woodson (2008). “Negro Makers of History”, p.20, Wildside Press LLC

topic: Religious, Hate, Taken, Inspirational History, Race In America

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.

- Lou Holtz

topic: Inspirational, Way, Break, Inspirational Football, My Attitude

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

source: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.67, Beacon Press

topic: Inspirational, Life, Inspiring, Social Equality, Love And Hate

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Inspirational, Inspiring, Courage, Makes You Stronger, Never Surrender

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

- Barack Obama

source: June Jordan, “Poem For South African Women”

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Change, Times Have Changed, Inspirational Presidential

The time is always right to do what is right.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

topic: Inspirational, Positive, Inspiring, Social Good, Social Service

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

topic: Motivational, Change, Positive, Faith And Family, Hope And Faith

Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations. If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won't exist because you'll have already shut it out...You can hear other people's wisdom, but you've got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.

- Mae Jemison

topic: Attitude, People, Imagination, Business Growth, African American History

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.

- Wilma Rudolph

source: "50 stunning Olympic moments No35: Wilma Rudolph's triple gold in 1960" by Rob Bagchi, www.theguardian.com. June 1, 2012.

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Running, Influence And Power, Inspirational Athlete

Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.

- Coretta Scott King

source: "Understanding Cultural Diversity in Today's Complex World". Book by Leo Parvis, p. 54, 2010.

topic: Inspirational, Inspiring, Forgiveness, Importunate, Love And Hate

you must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.

- Rosa Parks

topic: Motivational, Change, Black History, Black History Inspirational, Black History Month Inspirational

The thing about black history is that the truth is so much more complex than anything you could make up.

- Henry Louis Gates

topic: Inspirational, Black History, Black, Black History Inspirational

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

topic: Love, Faith, Peace, Belive, Peace Love

Where there is no vision, there is no hope.

- George Washington Carver

topic: Inspirational, Hope, Black, Inspiring Leader, Mission And Vision

In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.

- Toni Morrison

topic: Inspirational, Country, Mean, White Racism, Racism In America

For I am my mother's daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart.

- Mary McLeod Bethune

topic: Inspirational, Mother, Daughter, Black History Inspirational, Black History Month

No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.

- Alice Walker

source: Alice Walker (2013). “The Alice Walker Collection: Non-Fiction”, p.17, Hachette UK

topic: Friendship, Memorable, Acceptance, Inspirational Friendship, Inspiring Friends

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.

- Susan L. Taylor

topic: Inspirational, Believe, Ability, Black History Inspirational, Black History Month

You really can change the world if you care enough.

- Marian Wright Edelman

topic: Inspirational, Change, Black, One Person Can Make A Difference, If You Care

The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at.

- Jesse Owens

source: Biography/Personal Quotes, www.imdb.com.

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Running, Inspirational Diversity, African American History

Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.

- Carol Moseley Braun

topic: Freedom, Challenges, Faces, Defining Myself, Difficult Challenges

The United States has been called the melting pot of the world. But it seems to me that the colored man either missed getting into the pot or he got melted down.

- Thurgood Marshall

topic: Freedom, Men, Melting, Melting Pot, Black History Inspirational

For Africa to me... is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Inspirational, Truth, Men, Kwanzaa, African American History

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.

- Zora Neale Hurston

topic: Love, Inspirational, Life, Souls In Love, I Love You Like

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate...

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

topic: Hate, Social Equality, Love And Hate, Make Peace Not War, Social Programs

I refuse to accept the view . . . that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

source: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.116, Beacon Press

topic: Peace, Kings, Unconditional Love, Kings Speech, Daybreak

I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and set me to thinking of plans to gain my freedom. I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceased to be a man.

- Frederick Douglass

topic: Men, Thinking, Vision, Black History Inspirational, Black History Month Inspirational

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Inspirational, Dream, Slave, Inspirational History, Daybreak

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

- Harriet Tubman

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Impossible Dream, Inspirational Dream

Black people have always been America's wilderness in search of a promised land.

- Cornel West

source: Cornel West (2000). “Race Matters”, p.16, Beacon Press

topic: Inspirational, America, Land, Black People, African American History

we are the ones we have been waiting for

- Alice Walker

source: Alice Walker (2013). “The World Has Changed: Conversations with Alice Walker”, p.342, The New Press

topic: Confidence, Waiting, African American, Times Have Changed, Inspirational Presidential

In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.

- Thurgood Marshall

topic: Inspirational, Inspiring, Freedom, Black History Inspirational, Black History Month Inspirational

I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.

- Morgan Freeman

topic: Black History, Want, Months, Ending Racism, African American History

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.

- Oprah Winfrey

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Inspirational Strength, Strength In Adversity

The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now.

- Bill Cosby

source: Bill Cosby (1987). “Time Flies”

topic: Love, Inspirational, Life, Past Future, Paranormal

When I dare to be powerful - to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.

- Audre Lorde

source: "The Cancer Journals". Book by Audre Lorde, 1980.

topic: Inspirational, Encouragement, Powerful, Powerful Women, Power And Control

I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life.

- Oprah Winfrey

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Inspirational History, Striving For Excellence

Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.

- Colin Powell

topic: Inspirational, Military, Work, Surround Yourself With Good People, Surround Yourself With Positive People

I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up.

- Rosa Parks

topic: Inspirational, Giving Up, Tired, Black History Inspirational, Black History Month

The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.

- W. E. B. Du Bois

source: John Brown ch. 13 (1909)

topic: Inspirational, Inspiring, Freedom, Repression, Inspirational History

I learned to put my trust in God and to see Him as my strength. Long ago I set my mind to be a free person and not to give in to fear. I always felt that it was my right to defend myself if I could. I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.

- Rosa Parks

topic: Long Ago, Years, Knowing, Empowering Women, I Am Strong

No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.

- Booker T. Washington

topic: Inspirational, Work, Writing, Personal Dignity, Race In America

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.

- Maya Angelou

source: FaceBook post by Maya Angelou from Jun 09, 2013

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Moving On, Makin Money, Feeling Down

One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.

- Franklin A. Thomas

topic: Freedom, Eye, Unique, Melanin, Discrimination And Racism