Black inspirational quotes are words of wisdom, strength, and resilience that come from the Black experience. They uplift and empower, serving as testaments to the creativity, perseverance, and fight for justice that have defined Black history and culture. These quotes can address themes of overcoming adversity, pursuing dreams, and finding your voice. They can be words of encouragement from icons of the Civil Rights Movement, expressions of triumph from cultural trailblazers, or everyday wisdom passed down through generations. Black inspirational quotes remind you that you are capable of achieving great things and that your voice matters.

Black Inspirational Quotes

1. “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
— Angela Davis

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

3. “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

4. “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
— Malcolm X

5. “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

6. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”
— Maya Angelou

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

8. “We must never forget that Black history is American history. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nation’s greatness.”
— Yvette Clarke

9. “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.”
— Maya Angelou

10. “The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”
— W.E.B. Du Bois

11. “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner right there.”
— Venus Williams

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

13. “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.”
— George Washington Carver

14. “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”
— Malcolm X

15. “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter.”
— James Earl Jones

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

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

18. “Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.”
— Shirley Chisholm

19. “History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.”
— Michelle Obama

20. “Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”
— Shonda Rhimes

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

22. “Your life’s work begins when your great joy meets the world’s great hunger.”
— Pearl Cleage

23. “Have a vision. Be demanding.”
— Colin Powell

24. “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

25. “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
— Maya Angelou

26. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
— Muhammad Ali

27. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
— Albert Einstein (often attributed to)

28. “We are the ones we have been waiting for.”
— Alice Walker

29. “Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.”
— Ola Joseph

30. “Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.”
— Malala Yousafzai