Black Inspirational Quotes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where there is no vision, there is no hope.

- George Washington Carver

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

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

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate...

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are the ones we've been waiting for.

- June Jordan

topic: Waiting, Times Have Changed, Inspirational Change, Inspirational Presidential, Time And Change

Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody says distract you from your goals.

- Michelle Obama

source: Michelle Obama, Lisa Rogak (2009). “Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words”, p.40, PublicAffairs

topic: Inspirational, Goal, Stay True To Yourself, Inspirational Celebrity, Black Inspirational

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 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

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

- Maya Angelou

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

One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.

- Michelle Obama

source: Michelle Obama, Lisa Rogak (2009). “Michelle Obama: In Her Own Words”, p.40, PublicAffairs

topic: Inspirational, Badass, Who I Am, Inspirational Celebrity, Stay True To Yourself

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

You are young, gifted, and Black. We must begin to tell our young, There's a world waiting for you, Yours is the quest that's just begun.

- James Weldon Johnson

topic: Waiting, Black, World, Black Inspirational

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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