Black Women Inspirational Quotes:

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. Please remember that your difficulties do not define you. They simply strengthen your ability to overcome.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Encounters, May, Overcoming, Make People Feel Better, Perserverance

You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.

- Shirley Chisholm

topic: Inspiring, Ideas, African American, Stop Complaining, Progress In Life

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

- Maya Angelou

source: FaceBook post by Maya Angelou from Mar 15, 2014

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Way In Life, Make Me Feel Better

Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.

- Mae Jemison

topic: Women, Creativity, Imagination, Live Free, Dreams And Passion

Don't wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you've got to make yourself.

- Alice Walker

topic: Happiness, Success, Being Happy, Others Happiness, My Own Happiness

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.

- Alice Walker

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Positive, Maintaining Peace, Personal Power

All great achievements require time.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Success, Encouraging, Perseverance, Inspirational Weight, Strive For Success

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

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 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

Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.

- Oprah Winfrey

topic: Positive, Happiness, Success, Empowering Women, Inspirational Feminist

It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.

- Audre Lorde

topic: Inspirational, Inspiring, Equality, Celebrate Life, Dividing

Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine within yourself so that you can hear it in others.

- Marian Wright Edelman

source: Marian Wright Edelman (2013). “The Measure of our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours”, p.61, Beacon Press

topic: Inspiring, Meditation, Quiet, Black Women Inspirational

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

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Inspirational, Motivational, Change, Make People Feel Better, Live For Yourself

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.

- Oprah Winfrey

source: FaceBook post by Oprah Winfrey from Oct 03, 2011

topic: Positive, Thank You, Thankful, Concentrating, Spiritual Blessings

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

You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.

- Marian Wright Edelman

topic: Success, Winning, History, Persistence Inspirational, African American Inspirational

I really don't think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don't mind the failure but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I didn't try.

- Nikki Giovanni

topic: Inspirational, Life, Inspiring, Imagine That, Fear Of Success

Give light, and people will find the way...

- Ella Baker

source: "Song: Give Light". 1999.

topic: Happiness, Success, Uplifting, African American Women, Black Motivational

There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.

- Michelle Obama

topic: Inspirational, Inspiring, Sacrifice, Black Women Inspirational, Sacrificing Everything

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.

- Oprah Winfrey

topic: Inspirational, Positive, Happiness, About Success, Inspirational Achievement

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

- Maya Angelou

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

Design the life you want to live.

- Rachel Roy

topic: Design, Want, Judging You, Life And Passion, Live With Passion

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

Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.

- Coretta Scott King

source: Coretta Scott King, Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds (2017). “My Life, My Love, My Legacy”, p.330, Henry Holt and Company

topic: Inspiring, Freedom, Struggle, Struggle For Freedom, Black Women Inspirational

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

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Girl, Teenage, World, Female Empowerment, That Girl

No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.

- Althea Gibson

topic: Motivational, History, Accomplishment, Inspirational Team Building, Inspirational Teamwork

No person has the right to rain on your dreams.

- Marian Wright Edelman

topic: Dream, Rain, Acceptance, Wind And Rain, Dreaming Big And Goals

Each person must live their life as a model for others.

- Rosa Parks

topic: Life, Morning, Women, African American Women, Being A Role Model

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.

- Maya Angelou

topic: Inspirational, Life, Spiritual, Joy Of Giving, Spiritual Soul

We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.

- Angela Davis

topic: Inspiring, African American, Mind, Black Women Inspirational

If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.

- Audre Lorde

topic: Inspiring, Being Yourself, Diversity, Defining Myself, Female Writers

Don't feel entitled to anything you didn't sweat and struggle for.

- Marian Wright Edelman

topic: Inspiring, Perseverance, Work, Sweating, Black Women Inspirational

Don't let anyone rob you of hope.

- Pope Francis

topic: Creative Imagination, African American Women, Black Women Inspirational