Every February, we take a whole month to honor the vibrant culture and enduring sacrifices of African Americans. And in celebration of Black History Month we’ve gathered together some of the most inspiring, convicting, and wise words said by some of history’s most luminous Black icons.
Black people have suffered hundreds of tragic years of racism, prejudice, and injustice. And still do to this day. These quotes serve as a window into the deeper hope and faith for what could be one day and what inspires us to face adversity in the every day. From Supreme Court Judges to Astronauts to a famous tennis star to the President of the United States, this list shows a glimmer of the mark on culture, art, music, sports, science, politics, and so many other facets of everyday life that the Black community has made, enriching lives throughout history and beyond. As we’ve learned in recent years, we can all do a little more listening and learning these days, in order to become better allies to one another, and this list of quotes is just the beginning.
Want some books by some amazing black authors, check out our Black History book recommendations. Feeling like you need to brush up on the history of the month-long holiday? We’ve got just the article to fill you in on its origins. Can’t get enough and want to hear about some female Black icons? Check out our list of 40 Famous Black and African American Women Who Are Leaving Their Mark on History.
- “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.”—Thurgood Marshall
- “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.”—Coretta Scott King
- “Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.”—Carol Moseley-Braun
- “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”—Desmond Tutu
- “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”—Langston Hughes
- “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”—Booker T. Washington
- “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”—Dr. Mae Jemison, first African-American female astronaut
Space Frontiers
- “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” —Rosa Parks
- “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” —Nelson Mandela
- “Truth is powerful and it prevails.” —Sojourner Truth
- “Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list.” —Dennis Leary
- “When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” —Ava DuVernay
- “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” —Serena Williams
- “Character is power.” —Booker T. Washington
- “Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
Historical
- “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
- “Have a vision. Be demanding.”—Colin Powell
- “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” —Shirley Chisholm
- “Dreams are lovely but they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” —Shonda Rhimes
- “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” – Malcom X
Truman Moore
- “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man—the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.” —Abraham Joshua Heschel
- “If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go.” —James Baldwin
- “Life has two rules: number 1, never quit! Number 2, always remember rule number one.” —Duke Ellington
- “There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.” —Michelle Obama
- “Whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free . . . your true self comes out.” —Tina Turner
- “Black history isn’t a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people.” —Karyn Parsons
- “I need to see my own beauty and to continue to be reminded that I am enough, that I am worthy of love without effort, that I am beautiful, that the texture of my hair and that the shape of my curves, the size of my lips, the color of my skin, and the feelings that I have are all worthy and okay.” —Tracee Ellis Ross
- “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” —Ida B. Wells
Hulton Archive
- “Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you’re wasting your life.” —Jackie Robinson
- “I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty, or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other; for no man should take me alive; I should fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted, and when the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me.” —Harriet Tubman
- “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” —Booker T. Washington
National Archives
- “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” —Arthur Ashe
- “A man without knowledge of himself and his heritage is like a tree without roots.” —Dick Gregory
- “As black women, we’re always given these seemingly devastating experiences — experiences that could absolutely break us. But what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly. What we do as black women is take the worst situations and create from that point.” —Viola Davis
- “The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” —Frederick Douglass
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