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African American Quotes

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African American Quotes

“When I got my success I became decadent for a while. This was 2003 to 2008. I fell for tiramisu really hard. I've become more moderate since, because African-Americans are prone to diabetes.”

Hard African American Moderates Diabetes

Author:Jill Scott

“I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.”

World Mean Basketball Athlete African American Greatest Athlete

Author:Larry Bird

“When I got out of acting school, I was lucky to have gotten any job at all. A lot of people hiring African American actresses - it was right after 'Roots,' and for society, not me, it was great. Nice richly dark-skinned people was the fashion, and I was not.”

People School Jobs Dark Acting Nice Fashion Lucky Roots Actresses African American Hiring Dark Skinned

Author:Anna Deavere Smith

“From being a little girl in the projects, going through all of the mess that I was going through, to ending up at the Inauguration for the first African-American president, I'm speechless right now because I never thought I'd - I never ever - I couldn't even see that far. Even when I ended up in the music business I couldn't see that.”

Firsts Littles Girl President Right Now Projects Mess African American Music Business American President Inauguration Speechless

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Those are the same stars, and that is the same moon, that look down upon your brothers and sisters, and which they see as they look up to them, though they are ever so far away from us, and each other.”

Looks Stars Brother Moon African American Look Up Far Away Brothers And Sisters Sister Your Brother Full Moon Moon And Stars Rakhi

Book:Narrative of Sojourner Truth

Source: Narrative of Sojourner Truth

“I didn't have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life.”

World Way Happiness Success Strong Fear Challenges My Own Foundation Perseverance Obstacles Missions African American Missions In Life

Author:Tina Turner

“Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.”

Money Plans Failure Mouths Police Planning African American Boxing Mike Boxers Punching Black Humor Window Dressing

Author:Mike Tyson

“Sex in the City was a different kind of phenomenon because of the show itself is a phenomenon and to me that's successful because to resonate with women across the board for six years and have only one African-American actor pass through for one episode.”

Years Kind Different Shows Actors Sex Women Cities Successful Six African American Boards Phenomenon Different Kinds Episodes

Author:Blair Underwood

“Hollywood needs to recognise all shades of African American beauty.”

Needs Beauty Hollywood African American Shade Recognise Recognise You

Author:Gabrielle Union

“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.”

Persons Grows Friendship Silence Growing Rights Acceptance Friends Demand My Friends Social Justice Deny African American Novelists Memorable Real Friends Black History Empowering Women True Friendship My Friendship Your Best Friend About Friendship Love And Friendship Friendship Love Friendship Memories Lost Friendship Women Empowering Women One Line Friendship Best Friendship Friendship Day Cute Friendship Fake Friends Inspirational Friendship Friend Love Lost Friend Black Person Lasting Friendship Happy Friendship Inspiring Friends Happy Friendship Day Beautiful Friendship Hearts And Friends Black History Inspirational Who Your Real Friends Are Friendship Broken Who Your Friends Are Really Cute Best Friend Short Friend Black Women Inspirational Black Inspirational Awesome Friendship Black Motivational Bad Friend Heart Touching Friends Losing Friendship Short Best Friend Amazing Friendship Funny Best Friends Forever I Have No Friends Romantic Friendship

Book:The Alice Walker Collection: Non-Fiction

Source: The Alice Walker Collection: Non-Fiction

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

People Thinking Way Inspirational Giving Motivational Beautiful Strong Peace Women Freedom Common Attitude Positive Positive Thinking Giving Up Yoga Female Empowerment Clever African American Novelists Empowering Bullying Women Empowerment Within You Strong Women Encouraging Black Women Not Giving Up Empowered Empowering Women Insperational Self Empowerment Being A Woman Being Strong Powerful Women Words Of Encouragement Famous Women Independent Women Empowered Women Power Of Positive Thinking Women Empowering Women Inspirational Women Inspirational Strong Women Giving Up Is Not An Option Career Path Women Power Being A Strong Woman Inspire Women Strong Women And Love Women Equality Women In History I Am Woman Strong Inspirational Strong Independent Women Cool Motivational Inspirational Career Motivational Career Career Women Deep Meaning Being Independent Woman Strong Powerful Women Empowering Love Career Motivation Strong Women Motivation Black Women Inspirational Famous Women Inspirational Female Writers Strong Independent Black Motivational Strong Girl Personal Empowerment Powerful Inspirational Inspirational History Women History Month Self Empowering

Author:Alice Walker

“The Civil Rights for Musicians Act is about economic justice for African American artists. It's about what's right. And it's about time.”

Artist Justice Rights Economic Musician Civil Rights African American Economic Justice

Author:Dionne Warwick

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

“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 had to overcome while trying to succeed.”

Life Inspirational Trying Success Black Freedom History Position Succeed Determination Overcoming Obstacles African American American History I Have Learned Success In Life Graduation Key To Success Black History Success And Failure Overcoming Adversity Student Success Inspirational Running Succes Determination And Success Best Success Track And Field Black History Month Measure Of Success African American Women Keep Running Achieved Success Inspirational Runner Will To Succeed Position Of Power Black History Month Inspirational Track Running African American History Track Runners Achievement And Success Succeeding In Life Reaching Success Inspirational Achievement Black History Inspirational Success Is Not Measured Inspirational Track Motivational Achievement Success Is Measured Trying To Succeed African American Inspirational African American History Month Success Is Measured By Determination To Succeed Black Motivational American Success

Book:An Autobiography: The Story of My Life and Work, the Original Brought Up-to-date with Over Half a Hundred Full Page Photo and Halftone Engravings and Drawings by Frank Beard

Source: An Autobiography: The Story of My Life and Work, the Original Brought Up-to-date with Over Half a Hundred Full Page Photo and Halftone Engravings and Drawings by Frank Beard

“There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.”

Way Two Success Black Strength Positive Diversity Weakness Encouragement Social Justice African American Presidential Pushing Inner Strength Pulling Two Ways Strength And Weakness Pushing Ourselves

Book:Address of Booker T. Washington, Principal of the Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute: Before the National Educational Association, St. Louis, Missouri, June 30, 1904

Source: Address of Booker T. Washington, Principal of the Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute: Before the National Educational Association, St. Louis, Missouri, June 30, 1904

“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.”

“I think the bottom of the totem pole is African-American women, or women of colour. I think they get the least opportunities in Hollywood.”

Thinking Opportunity Women Hollywood Bottom African American Colour American Woman African American Women Totems

Author:Denzel Washington

“One ever feels his twoness - an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”

Feels Two Soul Body Dark Ideals Social Justice Strive Folks African American Torn Black History Black History Month Black History Month Inspirational Two Souls African American Love Black Consciousness

Author:W. E. B. Du Bois

“There's a whole lot more to the African-American community than entertainment and sports.”

Whole Sports Community Entertainment African American

Author:J. C. Watts

“I do think, however, that there's a very diverse point of view in the African-American community. There's a lot of different voices that need to be heard. I don't claim and pretend to know the thoughts and opinions and ideas of all African-Americans.”

Thinking Knows Needs Ideas Different Voice Community Views Opinion Heard Claims Point Of View African American Diverse Different Voices

Author:J. C. Watts

“I guess probably in my time in politics, it continued to be affirmed to me that the African-American community, despite being subscription television's most valuable customers, they are very underserved by cable and satellite television programming options.”

Community Television Valuable Customers Despite African American My Time Programming Cables Satellites Subscription

Author:J. C. Watts

“Murders with guns are the No. 1 cause of death for African-American men between the ages of 15 and 34. But talking about race in the context of guns would also mean taking on a subject that can't be addressed by passing a law: the family-breakdown issues that lead too many minority children to find social status and power in guns.”

Men Mean Children Age Law Social Causes Race Talking Issues Subjects Gun Murder Passing Passings African American Minorities Breakdown Social Status

Author:Juan Williams

“I don't believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.”

“Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.”

“I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life.”

“The symbolic value of having an African-American president has certainly eased some racial tensions in America, but they're not gone.”

America Values President Gone African American Tension Symbolic American President Racial Tension

Author:Naomi Wolf

“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Ifs World Race History Danger Tradition Factors African American Worthwhile

Book:The Mind of the Negro As Reflected in Letters During the Crisis 1800-1860

Source: The Mind of the Negro As Reflected in Letters During the Crisis 1800-1860

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

Inspiration Loses History Records Teacher Teaching African American Accomplished Retirement Biographies Black History

Author:Carter G. Woodson

“And thus goes segregation which is the most far-reaching development in the history of the Negro since the enslavement of the race.”

Race History Development African American Reaching Segregation Enslavement

Book:The Mis-Education of the Negro

Source: The Mis-Education of the Negro

“Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.”

Source: Native Son

“It is a blessing to die for a cause, because you can so easily die for nothing.”

Dies Causes Blessing African American

Author:Andrew Young

“What we forget is that African Americans made the largest contribution to America, economically, before the Civil War of any sector of society. I read that the railroads were worth about $2 billion, but slavery was a $3 billion asset.”

Made War America Forget Slavery Billions African American Civil War Contribution Assets Railroads

Author:Andrew Young

“I think there's no question that Michael Jackson was the foremost entertainer of his generation; perhaps of all time, arguably, taking the skills of a Sammy Davis, Jr., bringing together the street dance of African American urban culture, joining them to the politics of dance, of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly on that sphere alone.”

Thinking Together Culture Generations Streets Skills All Time African American Spheres Genes Urban Entertainers Joining Sammy Davis Sammy Davis Jr

Author:Michael Eric Dyson

“There's no question that O.J. Simpson had been a substitute white man in America. He had gained honorary white status. He was not viewed by many white Americans as black. He was not seen as the African American athlete who was rebellious: Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron... He was accepted in golf clubs that were very tony.”

Men America Black White Golf Athlete Clubs Accepted African American Brown Substitutes White Man Rebellious Muhammad Golf Clubs Honorary

Author:Michael Eric Dyson

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Love Inspirational Needs Heart Soul Helping Marriage Grace Subjects Greatness Humility College Degrees Agree Charity Activism Helping Others Civil Rights African American Servant Making A Difference Service Serving Volunteer Helping People Bad Day Because I Can Serving Others Baptists Verbs Service To Others Volunteerism Inspire Others Service To Humanity Fundraising Community Service Servant Leadership College Degree Servant Leader Giving To Charity Charity And Giving Inspirational Charity Thermodynamics Inspirational Service Making A Difference In The World Helping Other People Helping Others In Need Kings And Love You Can Make A Difference Kwanzaa Charity And Love Social Action True Love Conquers All You Make A Difference Inspirational Volunteer Others Helping You Great Inspirational Volunteer Appreciation Volunteer Service Doing For Others Volunteers Making A Difference Leadership And Service Fundraising For Charity Serving The Community Faithful Service

Author:Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

Inspirational Self Motivational Happiness Success Motivation Fear Inspiring Business Successful Teacher Entrepreneur Perseverance Appreciation Accomplish Likes Entrepreneurship African American Moving On Accomplished Being Successful Self Motivation Love Yourself Successful People Success In Life Black Women Key To Success Black History Follow Your Heart Road To Success Recipe For Success Be True To Yourself Listen To Your Heart Big Business Motivational Business Motivational Success Listen To Yourself Succes Wise Women Inspirational Success Best Success Measure Of Success Career Success Greatest Success Best Business Will To Succeed Definition Of Success Phenomenal Woman Drive And Success Liking Someone Hard Work Success Reaching Success Hard Work Comes Success Opportunity For Success Life Motivation Success And Life Hard Work And Success Succeeding In Business Define Success Black Motivational Envy And Success Spiritual Success American Success Friday Morning Be The Kind Of Woman

Author:Maya Angelou

“When you know my love, my love will warm you.”

Knows Love Realizing Romantic True Love Warm Actresses African American Black Women I Love You Loving Someone Best Love Screenwriters When You Love Someone My Love For You Love You So Much Let Me Love You

Author:Ruby Dee

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”

“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!”

Want Inspirational Inspiration Happiness Success Asks Fear Inspiring Positive Prepared Perseverance What You Want African American Moving On Be Prepared

Author:Maya Angelou

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

“I think if we are actually going to accept our generation's responsibility, that's going to mean that we give our children no less retirement security than we inherited from our parents.”

Ifs Thinking Inspirational Giving Mean Children Parent Responsibility Accepting Generations Security Our Children African American Retirement Our Generation

Author:Carol Moseley Braun

“The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, - this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost... He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American.”

Men Self Lost Wish Conscious Longing African American Manhood Strife Self Conscious Merging Dubois

Book:The Souls of Black Folk: The Oxford W. E. B. Du Bois

Source: The Souls of Black Folk: The Oxford W. E. B. Du Bois

“One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

Source: Why We Can't Wait

“You can turn away the Mexicans, the African-Americans, the teenagers and other suspect groups, but there's no fence high enough to keep out the repo man.”

Men Enough Turns Groups African American Teenager Suspects Fence Repo Man

Book:Going to Extremes: Notes from a Divided Nation

Source: Going to Extremes: Notes from a Divided Nation

“I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.”

People Persons Leadership Justice Freedom Inspiring Known Concerned Prosperity Equality African American Equality And Justice Freedom And Equality

Author:Rosa Parks

“You don't become what you want, you become what you believe.”

Want Inspirational Believe Women Wise What You Want African American Insightful

Author:Oprah Winfrey

“I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”

Source: Muhammad Ali Unfiltered: Rare, Iconic, and Officially Authorized Photos of the Greatest

“Charity is no substitute for justice. If we never challenge a social order that allows some to accumulate wealth--even if they decide to help the less fortunate--while others are short-changed, then even acts of kindness end up supporting unjust arrangements. We must never ignore the injustices that make charity necessary, or the inequalities that make it possible.”

“I feel safe even in the midst of my enemies; for the truth is powerful and will prevail.”

Inspirational Feels Truth Powerful Enemy Truth Is Safe African American Midst Prevailing Abolitionist Truth Will Prevail

Author:Sojourner Truth