45 Black History Month Quotes

45 Black History Month Quotes

Last updated on January 18th, 2024 at 10:38 am

As we commemorate Black History Month, it is vital to remember the accomplishments and difficulties of African Americans throughout history. These 45 Black History Month quotes from notable Black leaders, activists, and artists serve as a reminder of the Black communityโ€™s strength, perseverance, and power. Each quote on this page provides insight into the lives and opinions of African Americans, from civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X to trailblazers like Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey.

Black history month quotes

Explore these Black history month quotes, each a tribute to the Black experienceโ€™s power, perseverance, and beauty. These quotes provide a glimpse into the rich and complicated history of the Black community, whether you are looking for motivation, insight, or a greater knowledge of the Black experience.

โ€œThe cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.โ€

W.E.B. DU BOIS

โ€œHate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.โ€

CORETTA SCOTT KING

โ€œI donโ€™t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.โ€œ

MORGAN FREEMAN

โ€œWhatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.โ€

SUSAN L. TAYLOR, JOURNALIST

โ€œDefining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.โ€

CAROL MOSELEY-BRAUN

โ€œHold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.โ€

LANGSTON HUGHES

โ€œBlack History Month must be more than just a month of remembrance; it should be a tribute to our history and reminder of the work that lies in the months and years ahead.โ€

MARTY MEEHAN

โ€œDuring Black History Month, Iโ€™m reminded yet again of the ways that the struggle for civil rights is interwoven with the struggle for workersโ€™ rights.โ€

TOM PEREZ

โ€œJust donโ€™t give up what youโ€™re trying to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I donโ€™t think you can go wrong.โ€

ELLA FITZGERALD

โ€œIf the only time you think of me as a scientist is during Black History Month, then I must not be doing my job as a scientist.โ€

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON
โ€œIf there is no struggle, there is no progress.โ€
โ€œIf there is no struggle, there is no progress.โ€

Black history quotes

Black peopleโ€™s voices have spoken out against injustice, oppression, and prejudice, encouraging future generations to strive for a better society. These Black history quotes continue to ring true today, reminding us of Black peopleโ€™s tenacity, bravery, and courage in the face of adversity.

โ€œI am America.ย  I am the part you wonโ€™t recognize.ย  But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.โ€

MUHAMMAD ALI

โ€œWe all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. Itโ€™s our basic human right.โ€

ARETHA FRANKLIN

โ€œChange will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones weโ€™ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.โ€

BARACK OBAMA

โ€œThe thing about black history is that the truth is so much more complex than anything you could make up.โ€

HENRY LOUIS GATES

โ€œBlack history isnโ€™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.โ€

KARYN PARSONS

โ€œThere are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.โ€

MICHELLE OBAMA

โ€œWonโ€™t it be wonderful when black history and Native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book. Just U.S. history.โ€

MAYA ANGELOU

โ€œWe have a wonderful history behind usโ€ฆand it is going to inspire us to greater achievements.โ€

CARTER G. WOODSON

โ€œWe must never forget that Black History is American History. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nationโ€™s greatness.โ€

YVETTE CLARKE
โ€œStart where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied.โ€
โ€œStart where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied.โ€ย 

African American quotes

We hope our African American quotes will give you the direction and insight you need to overcome lifeโ€™s obstacles and embrace its possibilities, whether you are looking for inspiration, motivation, or a thought-provoking concept.

โ€œYouโ€™re not to be so blind with patriotism that you canโ€™t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it.โ€

MALCOLM X

โ€œHistory has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.โ€

MICHELLE OBAMA

โ€œYouโ€™re not obligated to win. Youโ€™re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.โ€

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

โ€œIf there is no struggle, there is no progress.โ€

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

โ€œIf youโ€™re walking down the right path and youโ€™re willing to keep walking, eventually youโ€™ll make progress.โ€

BARACK OBAMA

โ€œIt is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.โ€

AUDRE LORDE

โ€œBringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. ย I rise. I rise. I rise.โ€

MAYA ANGELOU

โ€œThe outside world told black kids when I was growing up that we werenโ€™t worth anything. But our parents said it wasnโ€™t so, and our churches and our schoolteachers said it wasnโ€™t so. They believed in us, and we, therefore, believed in ourselves.โ€

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

โ€œI have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.โ€

AUDRE LORDE

โ€œI think education is power. I think that being able to communicate with people is power. One of my main goals on the planet is to encourage people to empower themselves.โ€

OPRAH WINFREY

โ€œFreedom is never given; it is won.โ€

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

โ€œIn a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.โ€

MICHAEL JACKSON

โ€œWhatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because youโ€™ll find that when youโ€™re free . . . your true self comes out.โ€

TINA TURNER

โ€œEvery 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.โ€

HARRIET TUBMAN
"Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations."
โ€œNever be limited by other peopleโ€™s limited imaginations.โ€

Black history month quotes about humanity.

Itโ€™s vital to focus on the accomplishments of Black individuals throughout history and their influence on mankind. One approach to achieve this is by exploring these black history month quotes about humanity from Black leaders, philosophers, and activists who have championed equality, justice, and human rights.

โ€œIn recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.โ€

THURGOOD MARSHALL

โ€œMy humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.โ€

DESMOND TUTU

โ€œI believe our sorrow can make us a better country. I believe our righteous anger can be transformed into more justice and more peace.โ€

BARACK OBAMA

โ€œDarkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.โ€

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

โ€œThe time is always right to do what is right.โ€

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

โ€œNobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If youโ€™re a man, you take it.โ€

MALCOLM X

โ€œCan we see in each other a common humanity, a shared dignity, and recognize how our different experiences have shaped us?โ€

BARACK OBAMA

โ€œWhen I dare to be powerful โ€” to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.โ€

AUDRE LORDE
"If there's anything that I've learned it's that we can only fix this world together."
โ€œIf thereโ€™s anything that Iโ€™ve learned itโ€™s that we can only fix this world together.โ€

45 Black History Month celebrates the struggles and achievements of Black people. They serve as a reminder of the challenges Black people have endured and continue to confront while recognizing their triumphs and contributions to society with messages of courage, perseverance, and optimism. Read and share these quotes with your buddies to remind and inspire them.

Naveen Kumar is a writer and has a thing for collecting quotes and sharing them with people. Naveen is a space enthusiast. When he is not spreading good vibes or motivating people through quotes, you can find him sipping coffee while reading classic literature or on a long road drive.

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