We’re here again with a quick collection of 120 Inspirational quotes for black women that will boost your courage to achieve greatness against all odds.
Women in society today are seen as an important component to the success of any society. Women of color, especially black women are always seen as strong, goal-driven, and also focused.
However, as smooth as things might seem, there are times in our lives when we are at our lowest point, and we need that life-changing and lifting words to put us back on our feet.
This article will provide inspirational quotes for black women who either find themselves at a low level or at points in their lives. It is also for women who need to put that extra push and effort to reach any goal they aim for in life.
It is a known fact that life is not smooth sailing in its entirety, because problems arise at one point in our lives or the other.
Black women as a particular part of society also experience problems or issues in various aspects of their lives.
The message these black motivational quotes pass across is to help black women push on, never give up, and also how to handle many different situations they may find themselves in.
It is to be noted that while the quotes here are specifically targeted at black women, people of another ethnicity can also pick up on some of these inspirational quotes for use.
120 Inspirational Quotes For Black Women
1. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey
2. “It’s time for you to move, realizing that the thing you are seeking is also seeking you.” — Iyanla Vanzant
3. “You can fall, but you can rise also.” – Angelique Kidjo
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4. “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” ― Inspirational quotes for black women – Angela Davis
5. “Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.” – Sadie Delany
6. “Don’t settle for average. Bring your best to the moment. Then, whether it fails or succeeds, at least you know you gave all you had. We need to live the best that’s in us.” – Angela Bassett
7. “If you prioritize yourself, you are going to save yourself.” – Gabrielle Union
8. “You are on the eve of a complete victory. You can’t go wrong. The world is behind you.” – Josephine Baker
9. “There’s always something to suggest that you’ll never be who you wanted to be. Your choice is to take it or keep on moving.” — Phylicia Rashad
10. “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any Happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.”– Alice Walker
11. “A crown, if it hurts us, is not worth wearing.” — Inspirational quotes for black women – Pearl Bailey
12. “Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to change.”— Iyanla Vanzant
13. “I don’t have to go around trying to save everybody anymore; that’s not my job. ” — Jada Pinkett Smith
14. “No matter where life takes me there will always be someone who’s threatened by it.” — Franchesca Ramsey
15. “I think the internet forces you to be okay with your mistakes, and the things you’ve done in the past, especially when you’re in the media. Personally, that helps me to stop self-editing or being self-conscious, and instead realize that my previous mistakes have allowed me to grow.” — Amandla Stenberg
16. “You will be wounded many times in your life. You’ll make mistakes. Some people will call them failures but I have learned that failure is really God’s way of saying, “Excuse me, you’re moving in the wrong direction.” It’s just an experience, just an experience.” – Oprah Winfrey Inspirational quotes for black women
17. “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
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18. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” — Maya Angelou
19. “You’ve just got to follow your own path. You have to trust your heart and you have to listen to the warnings.” ― Chaka Khan
20. “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” — Zora Neale Hurston
21. “You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” – Michelle Obama
22. “Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way. ” – Nikki Giovanni
23. “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” – Simone Biles
24. “Once we recognize what it is we are feeling, once we recognize we can feel deeply, love deeply, can feel joy, then we will demand that all parts of our lives produce that kind of joy.” – Audre Lorde Inspirational quotes for black women
25. “When you put love out in the world it travels, and it can touch people and reach people in ways that we never even expected.” – Laverne Cox
26. “Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.” — Diana Ross
27. “I thrive on obstacles. If I’m told that it can’t be told, then I push harder.” – Issa Rae
28. “I have standards I don’t plan on lowering for anybody … including myself.” – Zendaya
29. “I always believed that when you follow your heart or your gut, when you really follow the things that feel great to you, you can never lose, because settling is the worst feeling in the world.” – Rihanna
30. “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 Inspirational quotes for black women
31. “You wanna know what scares people? Success. When you don’t make moves and when you don’t climb up the ladder, everybody loves you because you’re not competition.” – Nicki Minaj
32. “There have been so many people who have said to me, ‘You can’t do that,’ but I’ve had an innate belief that they were wrong. Be unwavering and relentless in your approach.” – Halle Berry
33. “There’s so much creativity in brokeness. Brokeness will have you making it work.” — Issa Rae
34. “Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your goal.” — Ava DuVernay
35. “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey
36. “I’m convinced that we Black women possess a special indestructible strength that allows us to not only get down, but to get up, to get through, and to get over.” — Janet Jackson Inspirational quotes for black women
37. “It was when I realized I needed to stop trying to be somebody else and be myself, I actually started to own, accept and love what I had.” – Tracee Ellis Ross
38. “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” – Toni Morrison
39. “It is so liberating to really know what I want, what truly makes me happy, what I will not tolerate. I have learned that it is no one else’s job to take care of me but me.” – Beyonce Knowles-Carter
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40. “Helped are those who are content to be themselves; they will never lack mystery in their lives and the joys of self-discovery will be constant.” ― Alice Walker
41. “Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine in yourself, so that you can hear it in others.” – Marian Wright Edelman
42. “When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.” ― Oprah Winfrey Inspirational quotes for black women
43. “Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable. I didn’t have to become perfect because I’ve learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness.” – Janelle Monae
44. “I don’t have any time to stay up all night worrying about what someone who doesn’t love me has to say about me.” — Viola Davis
45. “When you take care of yourself, you’re a better person for others. When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.” – Solange Knowles
46. “We must reject not only the stereotypes that others hold of us, but also the stereotypes that we hold of ourselves.” ― Shirley Chisholm
47. “Girls of all kinds can be beautiful — from the thin, plus-sized, short, very tall, ebony to porcelain-skinned; the quirky, clumsy, shy, outgoing, and all in between. It’s not easy though because many people still put beauty into a confining, narrow box … Think outside of the box … Pledge that you will look in the mirror and find the unique beauty in you.” – Tyra Banks
48. “I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and my femininity. And I want to be respected in all of my femaleness because I deserve to be.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Inspirational quotes for black women
49. “Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide.” – Marva Collins
50. “It’s important for young people to know that they are made the way they are made and they’re beautiful and that’s how they’re supposed to be.” – Raven-Symone
51. “I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.” – June Jordan
52. “Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.” – Sadie Delany
53. “Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.” – Carol Moseley-Braun
54. “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive. ” – Audre Lorde
55. “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.” – Zora Neale Hurston
56. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou Inspirational quotes for black women
57. “I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance. ” – bell hooks
58. “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.” – Alice Walker
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59. ”Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.” – Oprah Winfrey
60. ”In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature’s way of forcing change — breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place.” — Susan L. Taylor
61.“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. ” – Alice Walker
62.“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne
63.“All the money in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t have time to enjoy it.” – Oprah Winfrey
64.“Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way. ” – Nikki Giovanni
65.“Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide.” – Marva Collins
66.“I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace – a connection to what matters.” – Oprah Winfrey
67.“I think there are things for all of us to do as long as we’re here and we’re healthy.” – Gwendolyn Brooks
68.“If you don’t understand yourself you don’t understand anybody else.” – Nikki Giovanni Inspirational quotes for black women
69.“A crown, if it hurts us, is not worth wearing.” – Pearl Bailey
70.“Give light and people will find the way.” – Ella Baker
71.“Self-esteem means knowing you are the dream.” – Oprah Winfrey
72.“Whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free . . . your true self comes out.” — Tina Turner
73.“Take responsibility for yourself because no one’s going to take responsibility for you. I’m not a victim. I grow from this and I learn.” – Tyra Banks Inspirational quotes for black women
74.“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey
75.“There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don’t expect you to save the world I do think it’s not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect.” – Nikki Giovanni
76.“The times may have changed, but the people are still the same. We’re still looking for love, and that will always be our struggle as human beings.” – Halle Berry
77. ”Once we recognize what it is we are feeling, once we recognize we can feel deeply, love deeply, can feel joy, then we will demand that all parts of our lives produce that kind of joy.” – Audre Lorde
78.“Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.” — Oprah Winfrey
79.“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” – Wilma Rudolph Inspirational quotes for black women
80.“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou
81.“I didn’t have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life.” – Tina Turner
82.“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey
83.“It’s time for you to move, realizing that the thing you are seeking is also seeking you.” – Iyanla Vanzant
84.“You are on the eve of a complete victory. You can’t go wrong. The world is behind you.” – Josephine Baker
85.“You will be wounded many times in your life. You’ll make mistakes. Some people will call them failures but I have learned that failure is really God’s way of saying, “Excuse me, you’re moving in the wrong direction.” It’s just an experience, just an experience.” – Oprah Winfrey
86.“The triumph can’t be had without the struggle.” – Wilma Rudolph Inspirational quotes for black women
87.“We will be ourselves and free, or die in the attempt. Harriet Tubman was not our great-grandmother for nothing.” – Alice Walker
88.“It’s a long old road, but I know I’m gonna find the end.” – Bessie Smith
89.“‘I can’t’ are two words that have never been in my vocabulary. I believe in me more than anything in this world.” – Wilma Rudolph
90.“Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped before you…yet, someone survived…You can do anything you choose to do.” – Maya Angelou
91.“You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” – Marian Wright Edelman
92.“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 Inspirational quotes for black women
93.“Fear is a disease that eats away at logic and makes man inhuman.” – Marian Anderson
94.“African women, in general, need to know that it’s OK for them to be the way they are – to see the way they are as a strength, and to be liberated from fear and from silence.” – Wangari Maathai
95. ”When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” – African Proverb
96.“Whatever you fear most has no power – it is your fear that has the power. The thing itself cannot touch you. But if you allow your fear to seep into your mind and overtake your thoughts, it will rob you of your life.” – Oprah Winfrey
97.“When we drop fear, we can draw nearer to people, we can draw nearer to the earth, we can draw nearer to all the heavenly creatures that surround us.” — bell hooks Inspirational quotes for black women
98.“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.” – Maya Angelou
99.“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
100.“I used to want the words ‘She tried’ on my tombstone. Now I want ‘She did it.’” – Katherine Dunham
101.“No person has the right to rain on your dreams.” – Marian Wright Edelman
102.“Success doesn’t come to you…you go to it.” – Marva Collins Inspirational quotes for black women
103.“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” — Oprah Winfrey
104.“I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations….I have built my own factory on my own ground.” – Madam C.J. Walker
105.“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” – Wilma Rudolph
106.“The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely.” – Lorraine Hansberry Inspirational quotes for black women
107.“You are the designer of your destiny; you are the author of your story.” — Lisa Nichols
108.“Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.” – Susan L. Taylor
109.“It isn’t where you come from; it’s where you’re going that counts.” – Ella Fitzgerald
110.“I’ve been poor and I’ve been rich, and rich is better.” – Bessie Smith
111.“I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it’s half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.” – Althea Gibson Inspirational quotes for black women
112.“Keep working hard and you can get anything that you want. If God gave you the talent, you should go for it. But don’t think it’s going to be easy. It’s hard!” – Aaliyah
113.“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou
114.“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” – Maya Angelou
115.“We are all gifted. That is our inheritance.” – Ethel Waters
116.“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou
Summary of Inspirational Quotes For Black Women
Thanks for checking our quick collection of quotes for black women.
We strongly believe Wangari Maathai when she said; “African women, in general, need to know that it’s OK for them to be the way they are – to see the way they are as a strength, and to be liberated from fear and from silence.”.
So, tell us, which of these quotes resonates more with you? Let’s have your comments in the box provided below.
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