347+ Quotes from Famous African Americans [Inspirational]

Quotes from Famous African Americans often contain powerful and inspiring messages that reflect the experiences, struggles, and achievements of Black people in America.

Here are some common characteristics of such quotes:

Resilience: Many quotes from Famous African Americans emphasize the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. They often encourage people to persevere and not give up, even in the toughest of times.
Empowerment: Quotes from Famous African Americans often focus on empowerment, urging people to take control of their lives and not let others define their worth or potential.
Social justice: Many quotes from Famous African Americans highlight the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality, and the need to fight against discrimination and systemic oppression.
Cultural pride: Some quotes from Famous African Americans celebrate Black culture and identity, emphasizing the beauty and richness of Black history, music, art, and traditions.
Faith and spirituality: Many quotes from Famous African Americans draw on faith and spirituality as sources of strength, hope, and guidance.
Wisdom and insight: Quotes from Famous African Americans often offer deep insights into the human experience, drawing on the wisdom and life lessons of the speakers.

Overall, Quotes from Famous African Americans are often characterized by their eloquence, passion, and authenticity, reflecting the unique voices and perspectives of Black leaders, thinkers, and artists.

We have hundreds of famous Black quotes in this article to share, with many categorized by leader.

Let’s take a look.

Famous Black Quotes of Inspiration

Famous Black Quotes of Inspiration:

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
“Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.” – Benjamin Banneker
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
“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
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” – W.E.B. Du Bois
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“When they go low, we go high.” – Michelle Obama

25 Quotes by BLACK LEADERS that CHANGED THE WORLD

Black History Famous Quotes

Black History Famous Quotes:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” – Shirley Chisholm
“I am not a victim. No matter what I have been through, I’m still here. I have a history of victory.” – Steve Maraboli
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“I can’t separate my activism from my art. When I create something, I’m always thinking about how it can affect change.” – John Legend
“We all require and want respect, man or woman, Black or white. It’s our basic human right.” – Aretha Franklin
“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
“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” – Beyoncé
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” – Malcolm X
“It’s not about supplication, it’s about power. It’s not about asking, it’s about demanding. It’s not about convincing those who are currently in power, it’s about changing the very face of power itself.” – Kimberle Williams Crenshaw
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” – Nelson Mandela
“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.” – Langston Hughes

Inspirational Quotes for Black History Month

Inspirational Quotes for Black History Month:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” – Jesse Owens
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“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.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” – Kobe Bryant
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” – Malcolm X
“It is not what you achieve, it is what you overcome. That is what defines your career.” – Carlton Fisk
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” – Shirley Chisholm
“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
“It does not matter how tall you are, but how well you stand tall.” – Benjamin E. Mays
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” – Orison Swett Marden
“Freedom is never given; it is won.” – A. Philip Randolph
“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
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” – Stephen Covey
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” – Langston Hughes
“I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” – Morgan Freeman
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
“It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.” – J.K. Rowling
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou
“We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.” – Helen Keller
“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” – Orison Swett Marden
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“I don’t have any time to stay up all night worrying about what someone who doesn’t love me has to say about me.” – Viola Davis
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” – Ferdinand Foch

Inspirational Quotes from African American Leaders

Inspirational Quotes from African American Leaders:

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
“I am not a quitter. I will fight until I drop. It is just a matter of having some faith in the fact that as long as you are able to draw breath in the universe, you have a chance.” – Cicely Tyson
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“If you have no critics, you’ll likely have no success.” – Malcolm X
“Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.” – Alice Walker
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – James Baldwin
“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
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
“I believe that every person is born with talent.” – Maya Angelou

Quotes from Famous Black Leaders

Quotes from Famous Black Leaders:

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take and people are as free as they want to be.” – James Baldwin
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“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.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.” – Langston Hughes
“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” – Frederick Douglass

African American Quotes on Life

African American Quotes on Life:

“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
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks
“The most important thing is to be true to yourself, but secondly, you must be a good citizen.” – Mahalia Jackson
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“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
“The measure of a man is not how much he owns, but how much he gives.” – Unknown
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington

Quotes by Famous Black People

Quotes by Famous Black People:

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“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.” – Booker T. Washington
“I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” – Morgan Freeman
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” – W.E.B. Du Bois
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” – Malcolm X
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I am not a victim. No matter what I have been through, I’m still here. I have a history of victory.” – Steve Maraboli
“I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation, every form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.” – Malcolm X
“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” – Malcolm X
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Malcolm X Quotes

Malcolm X Quotes:

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
“A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”
“I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against.”
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
“We declare our right on this earth…to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.”
“Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression.”
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”
“If you have no critics, you’ll likely have no success.”
“Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.”

Booker T. Washington Quotes

Booker T. Washington Quotes:

“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.”
“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.”
“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 overcome while trying to succeed.”
“The most influential of all educational factors is the conversation in a child’s home.”
“I have never yet found that the man who has the most money is the happiest.”
“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.”
“I believe that any man’s life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day, and as nearly as possible reaching the high-water mark of pure and useful living.”
“I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.”
“Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”
“The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts.”

Frederick Douglass Quotes

Frederick Douglass Quotes:

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”
“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”
“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”
“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 thinking of plans to gain my freedom.”
“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.”
“I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.”
“I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted.”
“I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood.”

Rosa Parks Quotes

Rosa Parks Quotes:

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.”
“Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.”
“I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.”
“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”
“Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.”
“Each person must live their life as a model for others.”
“Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.”
“I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”
“I have a right to my beliefs, just as you have a right to yours.”
“I have always believed that one woman’s success can only help another woman’s success.”

Nelson Mandela Quotes

Nelson Mandela Quotes:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
“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.”
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”

Barack Obama Quotes

Barack Obama Quotes:

“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.”
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”
“We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong.”
“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”
“The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression; it is more speech.”
“If you’re looking for the easy way out, you’re going to have a long wait. It’s not going to happen.”
“We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
“We don’t ask you to believe in our ability to bring change, rather, we ask you to believe in yours.”
“The audacity of hope – hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope!”

Michelle Obama Quotes

Michelle Obama Quotes:

“Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.”
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
“Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.”
“Don’t ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.”
“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.”
“Just do what works for you, because there will always be someone who thinks differently.”
“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”
“Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we’re scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don’t have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”
“I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values – and follow my own moral compass – then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.”
“There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.”

Harriet Tubman Quotes

Harriet Tubman Quotes:

“I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”
“I freed thousands of slaves; I could have freed more if they had known they were slaves.”
“I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.”
“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.”
“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.”

W.E.B Du Bois Quotes

W.E.B Du Bois Quotes:

“Education is the development of power and ideal.”
“The worker must work for the glory of his handiwork, not simply for pay; the thinker must think for truth, not for fame.”
“Believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life.”
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”
“The worker must work for the glory of his handiwork, not simply for pay; the thinker must think for truth, not for fame.”
“Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.”
“The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.”
“The worker must work for the glory of his handiwork, not simply for pay; the thinker must think for truth, not for fame.”
“The function of the university is not simply to teach bread-winning, or to furnish teachers for the public schools, or to be a centre of polite society; it is, above all, to be the organ of that fine adjustment between real life and the growing knowledge of life, an adjustment which forms the secret of civilization.”
“The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.”

Marcus Garvey Quotes

Marcus Garvey Quotes:

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
“Liberate the minds of men and ultimately you will liberate the bodies of men.”
“Chance has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people.”
“If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.”
“Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.”
“We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind.”
“There is no force like success, and that is why the individual makes all effort to surround himself throughout life with the evidence of it; as of the individual, so should it be of the nation.”
“Progress is the attraction that moves humanity.”
“You may call me a Klansman if you will, but, potentially, every white man is a Klansman, and whether he has a hood or not, he is against you.”
“If you want liberty you yourselves must strike the blow.”

Jackie Robinson Quotes

Jackie Robinson Quotes:

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
“The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.”
“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
“The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it.”
“The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.”
“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.”
“The measure of a life is not its duration, but its donation.”
“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

Muhammad Ali Quotes

Muhammad Ali Quotes:

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.”
“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'”
“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
“The man who has no imagination has no wings.”
“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it—then I can achieve it.”
“Don’t count the days; make the days count.”
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

Michael Jordan Quotes

Michael Jordan Quotes:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game.”
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”
“I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot… when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.
“I’ve always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.”
“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
“My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.”
“I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it’s an illusion to me.”

Kobe Bryant Quotes

Kobe Bryant Quotes:

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.”
“I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.”
“The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.”
“I focus on one thing and one thing only – that’s trying to win as many championships as I can.”
“I’m reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose.”
“I create my own path. It was straight and narrow. I looked at it this way: you were either in my way, or out of it.”
“I’m chasing perfection.”

Kobe Bryant’s Greatest Speech | BEST Motivation Ever

Jesse Owens Quotes

Jesse Owens Quotes:

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
“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.”
“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.”
“We must become bigger than we have been: more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.”
“Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.”
“The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness.”
“People don’t understand that when I grew up, I was never the most talented, I was never the biggest, I was never the fastest, I certainly was never the strongest. The only thing I had was my work ethic, and that’s been what has gotten me this far.”
“Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing in it.”
“To me, we were a family, like a rock band or something. I’ve always been the leader of the track teams I’ve been on.”
“One chance is all you need.”

Condoleeza Rice Quotes

Condoleezza Rice Quotes:

“The essence of America – that which really unites us – is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion – it is an idea – and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.”
“We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”
“The only way to maintain global peace is to maintain a balance of power between nations.”
“It doesn’t matter where you came from. What matters is where you are going.”
“Educating girls and women is an incredible way to bring about change in the developing world.”
“The U.S. has been a force for good in the world, and that’s nothing to apologize for.”
“I wake up every morning thinking… this is going to be an extraordinary day.”
“When people are oppressed, and human rights are denied – particularly along sectarian lines or ethnic lines – when people are killed because they’re different from somebody else, I think that’s where American power should be used.”
“You cannot lead if you do not have the courage to go first.”
“We cannot be a strong country without strong allies.”

Langston Hughes Quotes

Langston Hughes Quotes:

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
“I swear to the Lord, I still can’t see, why Democracy means, everybody but me.”
“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”
“Life is for the living. Death is for the dead. Let life be like music. And death a note unsaid.”
“I am so tired of waiting, aren’t you, for the world to become good and beautiful and kind?”
“We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.”
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
“An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.”
“I like to work. I like to write. I like to think. I like to dream.”
“In all my life, I have never been free. I have never been able to do anything with freedom, except in the field of my writing.”

Thurgood Marshall Quotes

Thurgood Marshall Quotes:

“The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.”
“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”
“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.”
“The legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges.”
“A child born to a Black mother in a state like Mississippi has exactly the same rights as a white baby born to the wealthiest person in the United States. It’s not true, but I challenge anyone to say it is not a goal worth working for.”
“The fact is that segregation is not only sociologically untenable but it cannot be reconciled with the fundamental principles of our Republic.”
“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”
“I have a lifetime appointment and I intend to serve it. I expect to die at 110, shot by a jealous husband.”
“The legal system is often a mystery, and we, its priests, preside over rituals baffling to everyday citizens.”
“Equal means getting the same thing at the same time. If we’re going to have true equality, the system has to be changed. It doesn’t mean blacks are going to take over the power structure, but it does mean there has to be a real sharing of power.”

Clarence Thomas Quotes

Clarence Thomas Quotes:

“I think that blacks and whites are constantly struggling to understand each other. And I think that’s a good thing. I think that sometimes there are tensions because of it, but sometimes tension produces growth.”
“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.”
“My grandfather was a man, when they talked about freedom, his attitude was, if you’re going to be free, you have to get out there and do it yourself.”
“I don’t believe in quotas. America was founded on a philosophy of individual rights, not group rights.”
“I think that we have a responsibility to make certain that we are fiscally responsible in order to assure, frankly, future generations don’t have to pay our bills.”
“It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another.”
“I don’t know how you would characterize the gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped up on crack and sent them out on the street to murder other African-American children.”
I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together.”
“When any branch of government becomes indifferent to the welfare of the people, that is a government no longer worthy of being called a democracy.”
“The Constitution is not an organism. It’s a legal text, and it says what it says and doesn’t say what it doesn’t say.”

Thomas Sowell Quotes

“The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”
“It is amazing how many people think that the government’s role is to give them what they want by overriding what other people want.”
“The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best.”
“Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.”
“The problem isn’t that Johnny can’t read. The problem isn’t even that Johnny can’t think. The problem is that Johnny doesn’t know what thinking is; he confuses it with feeling.”
“Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”
“The most basic function of government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens.”
“The problem with political jokes is that they get elected.”
“The most important thing about any society is not how much it knows, but how much it can find out before it becomes necessary to resort to coercion.”
“To believe in personal responsibility would be to destroy the whole special role of the anointed, whose vision casts them in the role of rescuers of people treated unfairly by ‘society’.”