Yahoo Movies 35 Quotes From Famous Voices in Black History That Will Inspire You This February
February marks Black History Month, and in honor of the occasion, we're looking back on famous quotes from Black leaders, thinkers, and artists, past and present, who have left their mark on history.
From the 19th/20th century journalist Ida B. Wells (“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them”) to the late civil rights leader and politician John Lewis (“Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble"), many of these voices speak powerfully to the theme of Black History Month 2023: Black resistance to oppression. Other quotes in this collection evoke the themes of strength and excellence (one of our favorites: astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison's inspirational words, “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations").
Scroll on for more memorable quotes from Black political leaders (Barack Obama, Colin Powell), influencers and cultural icons (Shonda Rhimes, Serena Williams), and historical luminaries whose legacies still shine on (Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr.). For more ways to observe Black History Month, head to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History's schedule of events—or select a title or two from our Black History Month reading list.
35 Quotes for Black History Month
“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, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." —John Lewis
“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
“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
Related: 20 Powerful Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes to Remind You of His Message
“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
“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.” – Malcolm X
“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
“There are two rules in life: Number 1, never quit! Number 2, never forget rule number one.” —Duke Ellington
“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
“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 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
“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
“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
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