496+ Black History Month Quotes You Need To See (Images)

The month of February honors the history of the African-Americans, celebrating their liberation and civil rights.

Black History Month Quotes celebrate the rich heritage and remarkable achievements of Black individuals, inspiring unity and progress.

Embracing diversity, these powerful💪🏻 quotes remind us to honor the past while forging a brighter future together. Through the wisdom and resilience shared in these quotes, we find strength, hope, and understanding.

Let us cherish this opportunity to amplify voices that have shaped history and be inspired to create a world that values equality, inclusion, and compassion for all.

So, let us look at some related quotes.

Table of Contents

Black History Month Quotes

Recognition of the humanity of our fellow beings is the greatest tribute we pay ourselves. -Thurgood Marshall

The feeling of hatred harms the person who hates much more than the person who is hated. -Coretta Scott King

Our beliefs about ourselves and our abilities do make them come true. -Susan L. Taylor

Our descendants will find it incredible that we care much more about the melanin in our skin, the shape of our eyes, or our gender than our unique identities. -Franklin Thomas

Defining myself is a bigger challenge for me than being defined by others. -Carol Moseley-Barun

You are wasting your life if you just keep watching what goes on in life as if it was a spectator sport. -Jackie Robinson

Success is a measure of the obstacles one overcame rather than the measure of one’s position in life. -Booker T. Washington

Determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort are needed to make dreams a reality. -Jesse Owens

A human being represents God-given inherent rights without regard to sex or complexion. -William Lloyd Garrison

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will prevail the same way as peace and brotherhood do over racism. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

As human beings, we must have the will to accept people who are different from ourselves. -Barbara Jordan

Freedom is a continuous action that each generation must take in order to make society more fair and just. -John Lewis

We black women create from the worst situations like a butterfly creates from the end of the caterpillar’s world. -Viola Davis

The Civil Rights Movement was rooted in love and turned out to be our country’s greatest movement for social justice. -Bell Hooks

The masks that we cannot live without are also the ones that we cannot live within. Love has the power to get rid of those masks. -James Baldwin

We black women create from the worst situations just like a butterfly creates from the end of the caterpillar’s world. -Viola Davis

Black labor, black striving, black ingenuity, and black resistance made America what it is. -Nikole Hannah-Jones

When Black women stand up, they can bring about changes that might even shake the earth. -Angela Y Davis

A whisper can not be the voice for three hundred years of humiliation, abuse, and deprivation.-Martin Luther King, Jr.

We have not yet learned the art of living together in brotherhood. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

One cannot accomplish anything in life without courage.

Freedom is when we not only get rid of our chains but also live to respect and enhance the freedom of others. -Nelson Mandela

The power of truth prevails. -Sojourner Truth

Failure is something I find acceptable, but not trying at all is just unacceptable. -Michael Jordan

‘Black Lives Matter’ addresses a vulnerability experienced particularly by African Americans. -Barack Obama

I cannot understand why democracy means everybody but me.-Langston Hughes

Black people have to document their history because history becomes twisted when someone else does it. -Erykah Badu

The world is a better place due to the efforts of the creative, dedicated minority. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

You cannot sit and wait for opportunities to come your way. You have to get up and create opportunities for yourself. -Madam C.J. Walker

I had the realization that I can always have the right to at least either one of the two things – liberty or death. -Harriet Tubman

The measure of success does not lie in the amount of money you make, but in the difference, you can create in people’s life. -Michelle Obama

Only light can drive out darkness. In the same way, only love can drive out hatred. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

-“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Dr. Mae Jemison

-“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” – Frederick Douglass

-“We will all, at some point, encounter hurdles to gaining access and entry, moving up and conquering self-doubt; but on the other side is the capacity to own opportunity and tell our own story.” – Stacey Abrams

-“If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.” – Marcus Garvey

-“I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.” – Serena Williams

-“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chisholm

-“The impatient idealist says: ‘Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.’ But such a place does not exist. We all have to stand on the earth itself and go with her at her pace.” – Chinua Achebe

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.”
– Rosa Parks.

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Dr. Mae Jemison.

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.”
– Thurgood Marshall.

Short Black History Month Quotes

The change that we seek is within ourselves. -Barack Obama

When you make up your mind, fear weakens. -Rosa Parks

With love and inspiration, I do not think you can go wrong. -Ella Fitzgerald

It is better to die fighting for justice than to die like a dog or a trapped rat. -Ida B. Wells

I know what freedom isn’t, but not what freedom is. -Assata Shakur

I have always known that justice does not come easy. -Claudette Colvin

Diversity is when we embrace each other’s uniqueness. -Ola Joseph

The price of repression is much higher than that of liberty. -W.E.B Du Bois

The limited imagination of others should not bind us. -Dr. Mae Jemison

You should spend more time loving people than judging them. -Mother Teresa

Nobody can degrade the soul that lies within me. -Frederick Douglass

Racism is taught; it is not born. –Dennis Leary

Racism is the most serious threat that man poses to another man. -Abraham Joshua Heschel

Lack of self-confidence defeats you twice in the race of life. -Marcus Garvey

Diversity is a reality that must be felt and held, and valued by all of us. -Ava DuVernay

My desire to win is always much stronger than the fear inside me. -Serena Williams

Hard work can make even the fleeting, ephemeral, pretty dreams happen. -Shonda Rhimes

Bring a folding chair to the table if you don’t get a seat there. -Shirley Chisholm

It is our basic human right to want respect regardless of gender or color. -Henry Louis Gates

Organizing should be a priority over agonizing. -Florynce Kennedy

Your true self comes out when you get rid of the things that keep bringing you down. -Tina Turner

You must be the one to write the book that you want to read if it has not been written yet. -Toni Morrison

Freedom cannot be a gift. People claim freedom as their own, and nobody can take that from them. -Kwame Nkrumah

You can make wrongs right by shedding the light of truth upon them. -Ida B. Wells

True heroism lies in the urge to serve others and not in the urge to surpass them. -Arthur Ashe

The invisible, inevitable battles and struggles within ourselves are what matter. -Jesse Owens

When you return to a place that has not changed at all, you realize how you have changed. -Nelson Mandela

We do not make history. It is history that makes us. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

In a racist society, we need to be anti-racist, not just non-racist. -Angela Davis

The most powerful weapon that can change the world is education. -Nelson Mandela

The importance of life lies in the impact it has on other lives. -Jackie Robinson

The world is there just for you to make it your way. -Toni Morrison

Education can transform lives. -Condoleezza Rice

You have to love the people to lead them. You have to serve the people to save them. Cornel West

Injustice happening anywhere poses a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The liberation of minds is something equally important as the liberation of society. -Angela Davis

A man can be killed, but an idea cannot be killed. -Medgar Evers

Black is my cultural background, but it is not my entire identity. -Denzel Washington

Justice looks just the way love does in public. -Cornel West

The alliance of ignorance and power is the greatest enemy of justice.- James Baldwin

When we hate other human beings, we start loving ourselves less. -Eldridge Cleaver

Peace and freedom go hand in hand. To be at peace, one must also have freedom. Malcolm X

Where there is justice, there is true peace. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

If it is necessary to get in good trouble or to make some noise, then you should go for it. -John Lewis

What needs to be emphasized is the Negro in history, not the Negro history. –Carter Woodson

We can exert strength in two ways- by pushing down or by pulling up. -Booker T. Washington

There is no progress without struggle. -Frederick Douglass

A dreamless life is like a broken-winged flightless bird. -Langston Hughes

To do the right thing, time is always right. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

One should be a visionary who demands. -Colin Powell

Freedom is won, not given. -A. Philip Randolph

My race needs an equal chance at life rather than any special defense. -Robert Smalls

People find a way when you provide them with light. -Ella Baker

Black History Month Quotes For Students

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

“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.” – Booker T. Washington

“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.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” – Thurgood Marshall

“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

“I am where I am because of the bridges that I crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge. Harriet Tubman was a bridge. Ida B. Wells was a bridge. Madame C. J. Walker was a bridge. Fannie Lou Hamer was a bridge.” – Oprah Winfrey

“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself—the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us—that’s where it’s at.” – Jesse Owens

“We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” – Jesse Owens

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” – Langston Hughes

“Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts—good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt.” – Oprah Winfrey

“I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” – Madam C.J. Walker

“The only way to deal with this life meaningfully is to find one’s passion, and make a life out of giving back.” – W.E.B. Du Bois

“You have to imagine it possible before you can see something. You can have the evidence right before you, but if you can’t imagine something that has never existed before, it’s impossible.”

Inspirational Quotes For Black History Month

“Celebrating the heritage of courage and resilience, Black History Month reminds us that every day is an opportunity to rewrite history.” – Maya Angelou

“Embrace the richness of our past, the power of our present, and the promise of our future. Black History Month is a celebration of unity, diversity, and strength.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“History is not just a record of the past; it’s a blueprint for the future. Let’s build a world where equality and justice flourish for all.” – Rosa Parks

“Through struggles and triumphs, we weave a tapestry of greatness. Black History Month is a reminder of the indomitable spirit that propels us forward.” – Malcolm X

“In the journey of life, let our roots guide us, our stories inspire us, and our dreams empower us. Black History Month is a canvas for endless possibilities.” – Harriet Tubman

“Knowledge is the ultimate weapon against oppression. Let Black History Month be a catalyst for continuous learning, growth, and enlightenment.” – Carter G. Woodson

“In unity, we find strength; in diversity, we find beauty. Black History Month is a celebration of the mosaic of human brilliance.” – Angela Davis

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. Let Black History Month be a reminder of the heroes who fearlessly shaped the course of history.” – Nelson Mandela

“Every voice, every perspective, every life is a vital thread in the fabric of humanity. Black History Month is a celebration of our shared tapestry.” – Langston Hughes

“Let us embrace our history with pride, our present with determination, and our future with hope. Black History Month is a testament to the power of resilience and progress.” – Barack Obama

Famous Quotes For Black History Month

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

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

“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.” – Booker T. Washington

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“I am where I am because of the bridges that I crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge. Harriet Tubman was a bridge. Ida B. Wells was a bridge. Madame C.J. Walker was a bridge. Fannie Lou Hamer was a bridge.” – Oprah Winfrey

“I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up.” – Rosa Parks

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” – Maya Angelou

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass

“I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.” – Malcolm X

“I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” – Morgan Freeman

“We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” – Jesse Owens

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

“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

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