Black history month is a time of celebration and recognition for African Americans’ contributions to the world. Black history month has been celebrated since 1926 in America, over 80 years ago. Although there are many different versions of Black History Month worldwide, this month is dedicated to celebrating black culture and inspiring people to think about the past as a way of moving forward.
The most well-known version of Black History Month is celebrated in America every February. In this version, people are encouraged to learn about black history and its day-to-day life. In addition, African Americans are urged to spend time with members from their cultural background during this period because it can help with self-improvement.
Here is a list of some of the most inspiring black history month quotes from the world’s famous people that should help you honor this month’s accomplishments.
37 Black History Month Quotes From Famous People
1. “Hold on to your dreams of a better life and stay committed to striving to realize it.” ― Earl G. Graves, Sr.
2. ”If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” ― Frederick Douglass
3. ”During Black History Month, I’m reminded yet again of the ways that the struggle for civil rights is interwoven with the struggle for workers’ rights.” ― Tom Perez
4. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” ― Muhammad Ali
5. ”Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise. “- Maya Angelou
6. “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” ― Rosa Parks
7. ”The time is always right to do what is right.” ― Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
8. ”Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” ― George Washington Carver
9. “Go to work! Go to work in the morn of a new creation… until you have… reached the height of self-progress, and from that pinnacle bestow upon the world a civilization of your own.” ― Marcus Garvey
10. “Truth is powerful and it prevails.” ― Sojourner Truth
11. ”I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history. “- Morgan Freeman
12. “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
13. “Just don’t give up what you’re trying to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” ― Ella Fitzgerald
14. ”One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings.” ― Franklin Thomas
15. ”Character is power.” ― Booker T. Washington
16. ”Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.” ― Malcolm X
17. “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” ― Langston Hughes
18. ”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
19. ”You can never know where you are going unless you know where you have been.” ― Amelia Boynton Robinson
20. “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
21. ”When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” ― Audre Lorde
22. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” ― Frederick Douglass
23. “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
24. “The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind.” ― Maya Angelou
25. “Freedom is never given; it is won.” ― A. Philip Randolph
26. ”Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.” ― Susan L. Taylor
27. ”I knew then and I know now, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it.” ― Claudette Colvin
28. “… history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”— Michelle Obama
29. ”Black people have always been America’s wilderness in search of a promised land.” ― Cornel West
30. ”There comes a time when people get tired of being plunged into the abyss of exploitation and nagging injustice.” ― Martin Luther King, Jr.
31. “Have a vision. Be demanding.” ― Colin Powell
32. “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
33. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” ― Muhammad Ali
34. ”If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.” ― Marcus Garvey
35. “The time is always right to do what is right.” ― Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
36. ”Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” ― Carol Moseley-Braun
37. ”We must never forget that Black History is American History. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nation’s greatness.” ― Yvette Clarke
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