Quotes From Black Women: See 60 Quotes That Will Remind You of Your Identity

Being a woman is a gift, being a black woman is a greater gift. However, on some days, some walls make the journey tough and overwhelming. Black women who have climbed these walls have laid down quotes to cheer you up and get you back on track.

Black women have been a vital part of the journey of the black race. It’s no secret that the power of unity makes a people go farther, this is no exception to black women. If you’re reading this, you certainly have had some tough days and you need a push.

Below are some quotes from some of your favorite black women. You will certainly find a number for yourself or to cheer up a sister.

Inspirational Quotes From Black Women

  • “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
  • “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
  • “It’s time for you to move, realizing that the thing you are seeking is also seeking you.” — Iyanla Vanzant
  • “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any Happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.”– Alice Walker
  • “You don’t have to be somebody different to be important. You’re important in your own right.” – Michelle Obama
  • “When I liberate myself, I liberate others. If you don’t speak out, ain’t nobody going to speak out for you.” – Fannie Lou Hamer
  • “You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, and to show people how to embrace their complications, and see the flaws, and the true beauty and strength that’s inside all of us.” – Beyoncé Knowles
  • “The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.” – Serena Williams
  • “You can fall, but you can rise also.” – Angelique Kidjo
  • “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey
  • “It’s only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you’re not expressing the utmost of your human experience.” – Lupita Nyong’o

Motivational Quotes From Black Women

  • “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.” – Rosa Parks
  • “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
  • “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks
  • “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” – Assata Shakur
  • “Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” – Oprah Winfrey
  • “If you look at the world as a brutal game, then you bump into the mystery of the tree-shaped scar. There seems to be such a thing as grace, such a thing as beauty, such a thing as harmony. All of which are wholly free and available to us.” – Toni Morrison
  • “Defeat should not be the source of discouragement but a stimulus to keep plotting.” – Shirley Chisholm
  • “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey

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Self-Love Quotes From Black Women

  • “Self-esteem means knowing you are the dream.” – Oprah Winfrey
  • “Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way. ” – Nikki Giovanni
  • “You can’t be hesitant about who you are.” – Viola Davis 
  • “I’m not ashamed of what I am and that I have curves and that I’m thick. I like my body.” – Alicia Keys    
  •  “Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine in yourself, so that you can hear it in others.” – Marian Wright Edelman   
  • “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” – Toni Morrison            
  • “When I’m tired, I rest. I say, ‘I can’t be a superwoman today.” – Jada Pinkett Smith                              

Life Quotes From Black Women

  • “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.” – Maya Angelou
  •  “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
  • “I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure, but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.” – Nikki Giovanni
  •  “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
  •  “Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way. ” – Nikki Giovanni
  • “We can say “Peace on Earth.” We can sing about it, preach about it or pray about it, but if we have not internalized the mythology to make it happen inside us, then it will not be.” – Betty Shabazz

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Success Quotes From Black Women

  • “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
  • “The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.” – Serena Williams
  • “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” – Shirley Chisholm
  • “I thrive on obstacles. If I’m told that it can’t be told, then I push harder.” – Issa Rae
  •  “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
  • “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
  • “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

Confidence Quotes From Black Women

  • “I want women and girls of African descent and of color to be able to not have to keep searching for stories about themselves.” – Danai Gurira
  • “When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.” – Beyoncé Knowles
  • “For me, Becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” – Michelle Obama
  • “We must cease being participants in our own oppression.” – Stacey Abrams
  • “Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don’t yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it’s actually going to be possible.” – Angela Davis
  • “Knowing that it has never been done before makes me want to fight even harder.” – Misty Copeland

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Black Girl Magic Quotes

  • Being a part of this reemergence of a movement both pro-diversity and pro-woman is the best part of being a Black girl. It’s more than, ‘I stand for this because I should.’ I stand for this because this is part of who I am as a human being.” – Yara Shahidi
  • “When black women rock, the world rocks.” – Hilary Clinton
  • “Black Girl Magic means that I have the power to overcome anything. Especially when we’re in a world where you’re told that you can’t do something or you’re less than, I’m reminded that my ancestors have overcome so much. There’s still so much work to be done, and I have the power to overcome it.” – Michelle Carter
  • “We have to teach, tell, and show Black girls that they are beautiful … that there is no standard of beauty, only defining it. And we, Black girls, define beauty, too. Our hair, shade, shape, and features are beautiful. We set trends, and the world follows.” – D.B. Mays

Beauty Quotes From Black Women

  • “I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something I just had to be.” – Lupita Nyong’o
  • “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
  • “I am not my hair. I’m not this skin. I am a soul that lives within” – India.Arie
  • “I am dripping melanin and honey. I’m black without apology.” – Upile Chisala

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Proud Black Women Quotes

  • “This black woman rocks on a phenomenal level!” – Stephanie Lahart
  • “No person has the right to rain on your dreams.” – Marian Wright Edelman
  • “I’m a Black woman. Empowered, powerful, and greatness.” – Stephanie Lahart
  •  “And anything I have accomplished, I did so not in spite of being a black woman, but because I am a black woman.” – Gabrielle Union
  • “Beauty is not just a white girl. It’s so many different flavors and shades.” – Queen Latifah
  • “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” – Beyoncé Knowles
  • “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

FAQs

Is being a woman a minority?

Being a woman is not being a minority. Although there are systems that tend to put women on the backside, some systems uphold women’s values. Moreover, nationality and culture are some of the factors that determine the rights and status of women.

Is there a day to celebrate black women’s rights?

Yes, there is International Women’s Day (IWD) which is celebrated on the 8th of March across the world. This day is set aside to commemorate women’s struggles and appreciate their value in society.

What are the black woman’s struggles?

One of the major struggles a black woman faces is the fight for inequality in systems where there are gender biases. Others include marital instabilities and reproductive health issues like menstrual cramps.

Conclusion

Life has its good days and the not-so-good days but as a woman, you have to keep your crown steady and get going. Quotes from fellow black women are the best advice you can read or listen to on the not-so-good days.

I hope you found the ones that cheered you up, made you find a reason to not give up, a reason to smile and celebrate your color.

Thanks for reading.

If you need everyday motivation to get you going as a black woman, check Africana Fashion.