Quotations for Black History Month
The African race is an india-rubber ball. The harder you dash it to the ground, the higher it will rise. ~Bantu proverb
History in the final analysis is the compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography and it is the clock they use to tell the cultural and political time of day. History tells a people where they have been and what they have been; where they are and what they are. Most important, history tells a people where they still must go and what they still must be. ~John Henrik Clarke, "African People in World History," 1982 [multiple versions
Who are we? We are the descendants of slaves. We are the offspring of noble men and women who were kidnapped from their native land and chained in ships like beasts. We are the heirs of a great and exploited continent known as Africa. We are the heirs of a past of rope, fire and murder. I for one am not ashamed of this past. My shame is for those who became so inhuman that they could inflict this torture upon us. But we are also Americans. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
We should emphasize not Negro History but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice. ~Carter G. Woodson, 1926
In the context of the Negro problem neither whites nor blacks, for excellent reasons of their own, have the faintest desire to look back; but I think that the past is all that makes the present coherent, and further, that the past will remain horrible for exactly as long as we refuse to assess it honestly. ~James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son, 1955
Perseverance is everything. ~Yoruba proverb
Through avalanches of prejudices; industrial barriers; professional intrigues; legal technicalities; diplomatic effronteries, and political buffetings, the American Negro has, at last arrived before the public eye, as a factor not easily to be evaded. ~Mitchell Davis, One Hundred Choice Quotations by Prominent Men and Women of the Negro Race, 1917
The people of the Piney Grove establishment, both white and black, had been free for nearly a generation. The whites had been freed from the curse of being slave-holders, and the blacks had been freed from the curse of being held in bondage. ~Silas X. Floyd (1869–1923), "Thanksgiving at Piney Grove," Floyd's Flowers: or, Duty and Beauty for Colored Children, 1905
I swear to the Lord
I still can't see
Why Democracy means
Everybody but me...
~Langston Hughes, "The Black Man Speaks," Jim Crow's Last Stand, 1943
In overthrowing me, only the trunk of the tree of negro liberty has been cut down; its branches will shoot up again, for its roots are numerous and deep. ~Toussaint Louverture
It is the misfortune of men of African descent to be heavily shadowed by a cloud, and they must wait to have it dispelled before they can be properly seen, either by themselves or by others. Suspicion of the presence of a drop of African blood in the veins of a man, however able and distinguished, is a blight and mildew upon his life for American society.... His race is hated and his color is crime. The verdict of both court and country is against him in advance of evidence or argument...
There are few things in the world more blinding than race prejudice, and there are but few things more inflexible and persistent. Against the claims of truth and justice, to say nothing of brotherly kindness, it stands like a wall of brass. Reason and common sense dash themselves against it in vain. Individual men have risen and are rising above it, but the masses are ever under its sway and direction.... neither Irishman, Jew, nor Chinaman is fully included in the high human circle; but the fiercest wrath of this race prejudice is reserved for men and women of African blood. ~Frederick Douglass, "Toussaint L'Ouverture," c.1890
We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, —
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties...
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
~Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906), "We Wear the Mask"
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 A. Thomas, c.1982
Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. #goodtrouble ~U.S. Rep. John Lewis
This is our country, as much as it is the country of any other race... We may be the descendants of Africans, but we are citizens of the United States. This is our home... ~Silas X. Floyd (1869–1923), "Our Country," Floyd's Flowers: or, Duty and Beauty for Colored Children, 1905
It is forbidden to tell anything that has no foundation. ~Kanuri proverb
I am an invisible man... I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids — and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me... That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality. ~Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, 1952
There were in the midst of Northern society forces and influences continually at work misrepresenting the Negro. Art lent its fascinating, but mischievous, pencil to paint him in form and features most repulsive. Northern people traveling through the South have discovered that we are not so bad looking after all. I say it, and I say it without fear of successful contradiction, that many of the handsomest citizens the United States can boast of to‑day have the warm blood of Africa coursing through their veins. ~William H. Crogman (1841–1931), address delivered at the anniversary of the Freedmen's Aid Society, 1883 August 13th, Ocean Grove, New Jersey
American means white, and Africanist people struggle to make the term applicable to themselves with ethnicity and hyphen after hyphen after hyphen. ~Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination, 1992
All the negro asks is that the door which rewards industry, thrift, intelligence and character be left as wide open for him as for the foreigner who constantly comes to our country. More than this he has no right to request. Less than this a republic has no right to withhold. ~Booker T. Washington, 1904 February 12th, Armstrong Association meeting, New York City
You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man. ~Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, 1845
There are people who place a basket on your head to see what you carry. ~Wolof proverb
I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in mankind. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life which surrounds him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daylight of peace can never become a reality. ~Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, 1964
Assuring full citizenship rights to Afro-Americans is the duty and responsibility of the State, but securing them is the task of the Negro; it is the task of Labor and the progressive and liberal forces of the nation. Freedom is never given; it is won. And the Negro people must win their freedom. They must achieve justice. This involves struggle, continuous struggle. Neither freedom nor justice is ever a final and complete fact... ~A. Philip Randolph, President of the National Negro Congress, "The Crisis of the Negro and the Constitution," 1937
In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress. ~Booker T. Washington, address delivered at the opening of the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition, 1895
Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil. ~W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
With other black boys the strife was not so fiercely sunny: their youth shrunk into tasteless sycophancy, or into silent hatred of the pale world about them and mocking distrust of everything white; or wasted itself in a bitter cry, Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house? ~W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his
He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face. ~W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
The shadow of a mighty Negro past flits through the tale of Ethiopia the Shadowy and of the Egypt the Sphinx. Throughout history, the powers of single black men flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness. ~W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
The Nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promised land. Whatever of good may have come in these years of change, the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people... ~W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
We seldom study the condition of the Negro
Earlier today we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, "We, the people." It is a very eloquent beginning. But when that document was completed on the 17th of September in 1787 I was not included in that "We, the people." I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. But through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision I have finally been included in "We, the people." ~U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan
When the Negro was completely an underdog, he needed white spokesmen. Liberals played their parts in this period exceedingly well. In assault after assault, they led the intellectual revolt against racism, and took the initiative in founding the civil rights organizations. But now that the Negro has rejected his role as the underdog, he has become more assertive in his search for identity and group solidarity; he wants to speak for himself. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence of the Montgomery movement. One elderly woman summed it up for the rest. When asked after several weeks of walking whether she was tired, she answered: "My feet is tired, but my soul is at rest." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now I was free — there was such a glory over everything, the sun came like gold through the trees and over the fields, and I felt like I was in heaven! ~Harriet Tubman
...let's celebrate Juneteenth as a day when America became a more perfect union... and remember the stories of those who have shaped ideas of justice and freedom today. ~Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park,
Our responsibility as citizens is to address the inequalities and injustices that linger, and we must secure our birthright freedoms for all people. As we mark the 40th year of National African American History Month, let us reflect on the sacrifices and contributions made by generations of African Americans, and let us resolve to continue our march toward a day when every person knows the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ~Barack Obama, Presidential Proclamation — National African American History Month, 2016
For generations, the story of American progress has been shaped by the inextinguishable beliefs that change is always possible and a brighter future lies ahead. With tremendous strength and abiding resolve, our ancestors — some of whom were brought to this land in chains — have woven their resilient dignity into the fabric of our Nation and taught us that we are not trapped by the mistakes of history. It was these truths that found expression as foot soldiers and Freedom Riders sat in and stood up, marched and agitated for justice and equality. This audacious movement gave birth to a new era of civil and voting rights, and slowly, we renewed our commitment to an ideal at the heart of our founding: no matter who you are, what you look like, how modest your beginnings, or the circumstances of your birth, you deserve every opportunity to achieve your God-given potential. ~Barack Obama, Presidential Proclamation — National African American History Month, 2015
This Month gives black Americans a wonderful opportunity to review their roots, their achievements and their projections; and it provides for all Americans a chance to rejoice and express pride in a heritage that adds so much to our way of life... Calling attention to the contributions of black people to our overall progress and development, the month of February thus serves to build goodwill and understanding between all people. It gives each of us a keener appreciation of an important part of the priceless legacy which Americans of every creed, color and national origin are fortunate to share. ~Jimmy Carter, Message of the President — National Afro-American History Month, 1978
Black history is a book rich with the American experience but with many pages yet unexplored. A chapter once beautiful and tragic was brilliantly illuminated this very year with the first celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a national holiday. This new holiday symbolizes the trail he blazed for others and the struggle of many Americans for full and unfettered recognition of the constitutional rights of all Americans, regardless of race or color. ~Ronald Reagan, Proclamation — National Black (Afro-American) History Month, 1986
The foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity. It is also a time to celebrate the many achievements of blacks in every field, from science and the arts to politics and religion. It not only offers black Americans an occasion to explore their heritage, but it also offers all Americans an occasion and opportunity to gain a fuller perspective of the contributions of black Americans to our Nation. The American experience and character can never be fully grasped until the knowledge of black history assumes its rightful place in our schools and our scholarship. ~Ronald Reagan, Proclamation —National Black (Afro-American) History Month, 1986
During African American History Month and throughout the year, we must embrace the diverse strands of our story so that all children can see themselves in our Nation's past and know that they have a role to play in seizing the future's countless opportunities. ~William J. Clinton, Proclamation — National African American History Month, 1996
Understanding the history of black Americans is a key to understanding the strength of our nation. Their struggles, achievements and perseverance help us understand the moral fiber of America and our commitment to freedom, equality and justice. ~Ronald Reagan, Message on the Observance of National Afro-American (Black) History Month, 1981
The story of African Americans is a story of resilience and perseverance. ~Barack Obama, Proclamation — National African American History Month, 2012
We are here today to honor a man with a dream. Martin Luther King, Jr., was the conscience of his generation. He gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. He lived and died for the cause of human brotherhood. He was a doctor to a sick society. He was a prophet of a new and better America. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to fulfill the promises of our founding fathers for our humblest citizens, he wrung his eloquent statement of his dream for America. He made our nation stronger because he made it better. His dream sustains us yet. ~Jimmy Carter [
Americans have long celebrated our Nation as a beacon of liberty and opportunity — home to patriots who threw off an empire, refuge to multitudes who fled oppression and despair. Yet we must also remember that while many came to our shores to pursue their own measure of freedom, hundreds of thousands arrived in chains. Through centuries of struggle, and through the toil of generations, African Americans have claimed rights long denied. During National African American History Month, we honor the men and women at the heart of this journey — from engineers of the Underground Railroad to educators who answered a free people's call for a free mind, from patriots who proved that valor knows no color to demonstrators who gathered on the battlefields of justice and marched our Nation toward a brighter day. ~Barack Obama, Presidential Proclamation — National African American History Month, 2014