Best African American Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 14

“Recognition has brought me more work, because your name suddenly comes to mind when some directors are trying to cast a character. And my stage work has specifically enabled people to have faith that I can handle a role, even when it's not specifically written for an African-American. So, I'd have to say that recognition brings work. A successful movie brings more work, and that been the biggest blessing.”

People Trying Mind I Can Character Names Roles Successful Written Stage Blessing Directors Casts Handle Recognition African American Have Faith

Author:Viola Davis

“It's important for women to understand that it's bad enough that we don't make dollar-for-dollar what men do, but when you distill that down to women of color, our Latinas and our African American women, it's even less than that 78 cents.”

Men Important Enough Color Dollars African American Cents American Woman African American Women Latina

Author:Nina Turner

“African American boys oftentimes fall behind in school early, start feeling discouraged, check out, drop out, end up on the streets and then get into trouble.”

Ends Feelings School Fall Behinds Boys Trouble Streets Checks African American Discouraged

Author:Barack Obama

“To those African-Americans suffering in our country, I say, what do you have to lose? Vote for Trump, I'm going to fix it.”

Country Suffering Loses Trump Vote Our Country African American

Author:Donald Trump

“One of the things that has to be faced is the process of waiting to change the system, how much we have got to do to find out who we are, where we have come from and where we are going.”

Waiting Process History African American Who We Are

Author:Ella Baker

“In many large urban areas, the majority of working age African American men now have criminal records and are thus subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives. It is viewed as "normal" in ghetto communities to go to prison or jail.”

Men Age Community Records Subjects Normal Areas Majority Prison Criminals Discrimination African American Jail Urban Ghetto Urban Areas

Author:Michelle Alexander

“Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans. Once you're labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination - employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service - are suddenly legal.”

“For African American children, in particular, the odds are extremely high that they will have a parent or loved one, a relative, who has either spent time behind bars or who has acquired a criminal record and thus is part of the under-caste - the group of people who can be legally discriminated against for the rest of their lives. For many African American children, their fathers, and increasingly their mothers, are behind bars. It is very difficult for them to visit. Many people are held hundreds or even thousands of miles away from home.”

People Children Home Mother Father Parent Difficult Behinds Records Groups Particular Criminals Miles Bars African American Relative Loved Ones Odds Miles Away Castes Away From Home

Author:Michelle Alexander

“I think for the foreseeable future we have to disabuse ourselves of any ideas of unifying, or coming together, or all getting along. I don't think we're going to reconcile the America that elected the first African American president with the America that just elected a president avidly endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan - I'm not sure I even want to reconcile the two.”

Thinking Want Firsts Two Ideas Together America President African American Not Sure Reconcile Coming Together Unifying American President Getting Along Ku Klux Klan

Author:Steve Erickson

“Of course in this age of colorblindness, a time when we have supposedly moved "beyond race," we as a nation would feel very uncomfortable if only black people were sent to jail for drug offenses. We seem comfortable with 90 percent of the people arrested and convicted of drug offenses in some states being African American, but if the figure was 100 percent, the veil of colorblindness would be lost.”

People Ifs Feels States Seems Would Be Age Courses Lost Nations Black Race Figures Drug Comfortable Percent Moved African American Uncomfortable Jail Black People Offense Veils Arrested

Author:Michelle Alexander

“That one lesson that African American communities have learned over the centuries in America is that you can't just take for granted that things will steadily get better and better and better until they're great. It is fits and starts. It is backward and forward.”

America Community Century Fit Lessons Granted African American Get Better

Author:Ben H. Winters

“The [Steve Harvey] foundation started originally about the educational needs of children. But, as I got into it more and more, one of my main objectives became mentoring programs for young African American men because that's our problem in our community - it's the African American men.”

Men Needs Children Problem Young Community Program Foundation Educational Objectives African American Our Community Mentoring Harvey

Author:Steve Harvey

“If somebody comes up and they're African American as Mike is, and they're extremely talented as Mike is, they say, "Oh, yeah, he's the next ..." I think that it points to disparity.”

Ifs Thinking Next Yeah Come Up African American Mike Disparity

Author:Michael B. Jordan

“The fact that there aren't an abundance of African-American males that are getting lead roles [and] that are getting roles that have prominence on the big screen. [It's] the same thing from behind the camera; maybe even worse. Coming up, when you're black and you want to direct somebody says, "Oh, you're Spike Lee" or "You're John Singleton."”

Want Facts Bigs Black Behinds Roles Direct Cameras Males Screens African American Abundance Big Screen Prominence

Author:Michael B. Jordan

“Today, we have come a distance. We have made a lot of progress. That cannot be denied. You cannot dispute the fact that our country is so different from 50 years ago. But we still have problems. There are too many people that have been left out and left behind, and they are African American, they are White, Latino, Asian American, and Native American.”

“The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains.”

Love Heart Long Remains African American Locked

Author:Josephine Baker

“I think of what's happening in Detroit as part of something that's much bigger. Most people think of the decline of the city as having to do with African-Americans and being in debt, and all the issues like crime and bad housing. But what happened is that when globalization took place, following World War II, Detroit's role as the center and the symbol of industrialization was destroyed. It wasn't because we had black citizens mainly or a black mayor; it was because the world was changing.”

“In the West or anywhere else, the treatment of people in an undignified way (structural and institutionalized racism against Latinos or African American citizens) as well as a dangerous dehumanization of some people (in Palestine, Iraq, Africa or Asia) are simply unacceptable.”

People Way Wells Dangerous Citizens Racism West Iraq African American Treatment Asia Palestine Latino American Citizens Dehumanization

Author:Tariq Ramadan

“There's probably more of a struggle to get material and narratives published that really speak to black culture. And that has a lot to do with the mergers and buyouts and the corporations being more in control of the purse strings. We find that the projects have to come with higher expectations rather than books that just should be published. That's disturbing because we might find fewer and fewer children's books by African Americans or with black cultural themes.”

“African American writers and artists, by the very nature of what they do, will actually enhance or bring together people in a way that might be very, very healthy.”

People Way Might Together Artist Healthy African American American Writer

Author:Jerry Pinkney

“One of the ongoing crises in America is institutional racism. We have a very broken criminal justice system. We live in a country where there are more people in jail than any other country on Earth. There are some 2.2 million people currently incarcerated and they are disproportionally African American and Hispanic. Unarmed African Americans have been abused and sometimes killed while in police custody. Clearly these are issues that must be dealt with and changed.”

“Many White people are not sensitive to the kind of abuse that African Americans, especially younger African Americans, receive at the hands of police officers and police departments. I think for most Whites their experience with the police has been good or neutral because they don't interact with the police as much as those in the Black community.”

People Thinking Kind Has Beens Hands Black Community White Abuse Police African American Sensitive Department Officers Police Officer Black Community Police Department

Author:Bernie Sanders

“I'd been taught from an early age that I was in the other category on the standardized tests. You know, I had to go down the checklist - Caucasian, African-American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and then, you know, at the bottom is other. So, you know, very early on I was taught, in a way, that I was somehow this anomaly.”

Knows Way Age Taught Tests Bottom African American Categories Asian Latino Pacific Anomalies Checklists Caucasian Pacific Islanders

Author:Jordan Peele

“I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. We can now have action movies with two stars where one might be African American and one might be Asian American. One of them doesn't have to be white, and the other one doesn't have to be the ethnic sidekick. We're way over that. And I think it's happening in society, too.”

People Thinking Way Two Ideas Might Action Stars White Happenings African American Asian Action Movie Asian American Sidekicks

Author:Roger Ebert

“Even in the era of the first black president, racism is still the most intractable issue in USA. Regarding poverty, half of all Americans are either in or near poverty. Poverty is certainly worse for African-Americans now than it was during King's lifetime.”

Firsts Stills Black President Half Poverty Issues Kings Racism Lifetime African American Eras Usa

Author:Tavis Smiley

“All of my history as an African-American woman, as a Jewish woman, as a Muslim woman. I'm bringing everything I ever knew, and all the stories I've read - everything good, strong, kind and powerful. I bring it all with me into every situation, and I will not allow my life to be minimized by anybody's racism or sexism or ageism.”

Kind Stories Strong Powerful Situation Racism African American Sexism American Woman African American Women Ageism Muslim Women

Author:Maya Angelou

“Words can't even describe how much Olympic medals means to me, because of all the hard work, sacrifice and effort I put in at the gym, and also because of how much my family supported me and sacrificed their dreams for mine. It also means a lot to me, knowing that I became the first African American to win the individual all-around gold medal.”

Firsts Mean Hard Dream Winning Individual Effort Knowing Sacrifice Mines Hard Work My Family Gold African American Gym Medal Gold Medals Olympic Medals

Author:Gabby Douglas

“Identity is very personal...identity is political. My identity is what is and it is what it's gonna be. And I don't think that any information will change that profoundly...I [already] know that I am a Black woman, and a Black woman who has mixed some heritage, like most African Americans.”

Thinking Political Black Identity African American Black Women

Author:Jamilah Lemieux

“I identify as African American. I identify as Black. Black is something I share with other descendants of Africa, African-American is something I share with other Black descendants of America and both of those identities are of equal importance to me.”

Black Share Identity Equal Importance African American

Author:Jamilah Lemieux

“We forget the conditions - not only in slavery - but after slavery, when there was this purposeful locking out of African Americans from economic opportunity. Or we forget today's incarceration rates, and educational and housing discrimination; all of these things. We pretend that everything that has happened happened long ago, and then we act as if we all now just treat each other equally, everything will be fine.”

Long Opportunity Forget Economic Slavery Rate Educational Discrimination African American Incarceration

Author:Ben H. Winters

“People talk about Jim Crow as if it's dead. Jim Crow isn't gone. It's adjusted. Look at the disproportionate sentences meted out to blacks caught up in the criminal justice system. There's a problem when people profit from putting and keeping African Americans in prison. We need to do a better job as a nation understanding the real values the country's built upon in terms of fairness, equality and equal opportunity.”

People Real Problem Values Opportunity Understanding Term Justice Equal Prison African American Fairness Caught Up Crow Justice System Criminal Justice Equal Opportunity Jim Crow

Author:Aldis Hodge

“The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were all written by affluent white males, but to discuss them in any meaningful way, you have to bring in the roles of African Americans - the enslaved blacks - and the roles of women, who were scarcely acknowledged by those documents. You have to discuss why slavery wasn't outlawed by the Constitution, why women weren't given the votes. The Bill of Rights isn't about dead white males anymore, and it's not just about live white males either; it's about every minority group that exists.”

Vote Constitution Independence Slavery Meaningful African American Declaration Declaration Of Independence Bill Of Rights

Author:Russell Freedman

“I happen to think that Hillary Clinton is a beacon of hope for younger girls, as was Barack Obama in other inspirational areas. We've now had an African American president, possibly a woman president, it's pretty cool. As far as she is concerned, whether man or woman, she is capable and experienced to be president.”

Thinking Men Girl President Capable Concerned Clinton Barack African American American President

Author:Alex Meneses

“I guess I don't have a candidate who makes my heart go pitter-patter the way I wish it would. I'm thinking, here's an African American candidate - yes! And here's a woman candidate - yes! Why can't I get behind either one of them? Don't tell me I have latent sexism or racism that I need to confront. I don't believe that. I think we are so burned by the current situation that we want somebody that it isn't possible to have. We want someone who definitely looks like the messiah.”

Thinking Believe Heart Wish Situation My Heart Racism African American Sexism

Author:Sara Paretsky

“African-Americans who might have disagreed with candidate Barack Obama's left-of-center politics voted for him in 2008 because electing a candidate with brown skin was too historic an opportunity to miss.”

Might Opportunity Left Missing Skins African American Candidates Brown Historic Brown Skin

Author:Alveda King

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”

Love Life Inspirational School Beautiful Education Music Knowledge Learning Teacher Positive Lessons Musician Educational Producers African American Beautiful Things Literacy Educator Singer Songwriters Away From You Guitar Player Best Teacher Live And Learn Great Education Teaching And Learning Education And Teachers Knowledge Is Power Life Learning Great Educational Teaching And Education Teaching Education Teacher Student Teaching Learning Children Learning Teacher And Student Inspirational Education Being A Teacher Education And Knowledge Lifelong Learning Children Education Students And Education You Live And You Learn Student Learning Children And Education Inspirational Educational Education And Literacy Famous Musician Never Stop Learning Knowledge And Learning Value Of Education Purpose Of Education Reading And Literacy Inspiring Education Learning Knowledge Importance Of Education Inspirational Learning Teachers Learning From Students Inspirational Student Guitar Music Literacy For Children Inspiring Educational Academic Success Teachers From Kids Best Students Reading And Learning Family Education

Author:B. B. King

“Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.”

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

Winning Process Freedom Inspiring Struggle Generations Youth African American Never Ending Your Freedom Black Women Inspirational Struggle For Freedom

Book:My Life, My Love, My Legacy

Source: My Life, My Love, My Legacy

“Historically, the argument is we stole the country from the Indians. America stole the labor of African Americans for over 200 years under slavery. America took half of Mexico by force in the Mexican War. American foreign policy, the progressives say it's based on theft. Why? Because look, America is very active in the Middle East. Why? The Middle East has oil. Notice that America doesn't get involved in Haiti or Rwanda because they don't have any oil.”

War Country Policy Argument Labor Slavery African American Foreign Policy Mexican Get Involved Rwanda

Author:Dinesh D'Souza

“There should be no surprise that forgotten America, no matter their ethnicity, because we see that Mr. Trump was able to get Hispanic voters, African American voters. Oh my God, the majority of, of, of the women voters that he was able to amass, even though he was painted as the other, my party, the Democratic party, did not listen to the voices of the forgotten America.”

Party Democratic Surprise Forgotten African American Democratic Party Hispanic

Author:Nina Turner

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Love Life Inspirational God Light Hate Peace Can Do Inspiring Darkness Love You Greatness Kings Forgiveness Hatred Opposites Social Justice Civil Rights African American Hated Inspirational Love American Dream American History Light And Darkness Love Hate Only Love Love And Hate Famous Love Light And Dark Peace Justice Make Peace Not War Descending Black History Month Darkness To Light Hater Hate Speech Peace Not War Love Your Enemies Black History Month Inspirational African American History Kings Speech Light Of The World Light Of Love Kings And Love Good Kings Black History Inspirational Power And Love Loving Your Enemies Violence And War Light And Love Hatred And Love Spiritual Light I Hate Love African American Inspirational African American History Month Light Dark Hated Love African American Civil Rights Hatred For Love Spiritual Darkness Love Not Hate Dark Life Hate The World People You Hate Darkness In Life

Book:A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings

Source: A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings

“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.”

Men Life Inspirational Moments Wisdom Motivational Peace Women Challenges Leadership Inspiring Leader Kings Comfort Determination Standing Ultimate Adversity Activism Recovery Civil Rights African American Patriotic Activist Graduation Bad Ass Controversy Tough Times Convenience Bad Day Great Leader Baptists Drug Addiction Drug Addict Overcoming Challenges World Leader Recovering Being A Leader Leadership By Famous Leaders Best Leader Motivational Leadership Addiction Recovery Peace Not War Challenge Yourself Where You Are Going Outstanding Leadership Integrity And Character Times Of Adversity Integrity Character Measure Of A Man Kings Speech Born Leaders Drug Addiction Recovery Kings And Love Good Kings Outstanding Leaders When Life Is Hard Inspirational Addiction Recovery Obstacles And Challenges Inspirational Recovery Drug Recovery Motivational Recovery Inspirational Drug Recovery Leadership And Service Civil Rights Leaders Leadership Style Most Encouraging Daily Challenges True Measure Of A Man Ultimate Motivational

Author:Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

Inspirational Firsts Believe Whole Motivational Faith Belief Fear Change Inspiring Steps Courage Positive Kings Optimism Bravery Patience Gods Will Recovery Civil Rights African American Hard Times Have Faith First Steps Faith In God Encouraging Not Giving Up Civil Rights Movement Christian Faith Next Steps Steps Forward Words Of Encouragement Blind Faith Hope And Faith Keep The Faith Leap Of Faith Great Faith I Love Life Staircases Black History Month Inspirational Faith Religion I Have A Dream Speech Kings Speech Change And Growth Kings And Love Faith In Jesus Good Kings Kwanzaa Live Love Walk By Faith Inspirational Recovery Love Life Inspirational Positivity And Optimism Seeing Is Believing Have A Little Faith African American Civil Rights Faith Trust Live Love Life Civil Rights Leaders Fear And Faith Trust And Faith Spiritual Faith Faith And Patience Infinite Hope Faith And Family Keep Your Faith Relying On God Strength And Faith

Author: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.”

Author:Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Life Inspirational Ends Matter Motivational Today Peace Change Inspiring Silence Attitude Our Lives Society Greatness Kings Election Silent Civil Rights This Life African American Ministers Indifference Changing The World Making A Difference Voting Activist Voters Apathy Day Positive Life Making Changes Black History Complacency Insperational Civil Rights Movement Matter Of Fact Taking Action Baptists Love Hate Lives Of Others Civil Society Love And Hate Animal Welfare End Of Life Things That Matter Peace And Justice Advocacy I Had A Dream Great Nations Election Day Human Trafficking Trafficking Hate Speech Bystanders Pioneering Live Life To Its Fullest Silence Is Golden I Have A Dream Speech Kings Speech Silencing Civil Right Movement Darfur Elections And Voting African American Civil Rights Inspirational Voting Light Of My Life Greatest Life Civil Rights Leaders Action And Change Wise Life Infinite Hope Other People's Actions

Author:Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

Source: Strength to Love

“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.”

African American Quotes

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African American Quotes