The contributions and achievements of black Americans are celebrated throughout the month of February with Black History Month. In celebration of the month-long recognition, some inspiring quotes from black leaders, prominent figures and celebrities have been shared below, courtesy of Quote Garden and Pop Sugar:
1. “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
2. “Racial superiority is a mere pigment of the imagination.” –Unknown
3. “In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.” –Toni Morrison
4. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
5. “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” –Thurgood Marshall
6. “For Africa to me … is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.” –Maya Angelou
7. “Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” –Carol Moseley Braun
8. “Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.” –Zora Neale Hurston
9. “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” –Dr. Mae Jemison
10. “For I am my mother’s daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart.” –Mary McLeod Bethune
11. “The cost of liberty is Betticket less than the price of repression.” –W.E.B. Du Bois
12. “Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard.” –Colin Powell
13. “Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” –Ola Joseph
14. “As black people, we need to remember the moment that we say it’s OK to disenfranchise one segment of society, we’re opening the door to move backward on ourselves.” –Kerry Washington
15. “Identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it and use it as a foundation to grow.” –Jay Z
16. “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
17. “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
18. “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.” –Coretta Scott King
19. “Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.” –Unknown
20. “History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” –Michelle Obama
21. “Every 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.” –Harriet Tubman
22. “Take all the rules away. How can we live if we don’t change?” –Beyoncé
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama speak during a reception celebrating Black History Month at the White House, Feb. 26, 2015. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
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