165 Inspirational Quotes for African American Females

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

- Alice Walker

"I was once afraid of people saying, "Who does she think she is?" Now, I have the courage to stand and say, "This is who I am."

- Oprah Winfrey

"You are your best thing."

- Toni Morrison

"Black women can do anything. We have proven that time and time and time again."

- Tarana Burke

"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

"The success of every woman should be an inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you're courageous, be strong, be extremely kind, and above all, be humble."

- Serena Williams

"Black women ain't bitter. They are just tired of being expected to settle for less."

- Issa Rae

"Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way."

- Nikki Giovanni

"A wise woman wishes to be no one's enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone's victim."

- Maya Angelou

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does."

- Serena Williams

"I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept."

- Angela Davis

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a b*tch. You've got to go out and kick ass."

- Maya Angelou

"Women and girls can do whatever they want. There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish."

- Michelle Obama

"My mother did not raise me to ask for permission to lead."

- Ayanna Pressley

"Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women."

- Maya Angelou

"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

"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

"I am not less, because I'm Black. And I am not less, because I'm a Woman."

- Marian Wright

"Am I good enough? Yes I am."

- Michelle Obama

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be."

- Maya Angelou

"Don't listen to those who say YOU CAN'T. Listen to the voice inside yourself that says, I CAN."

- Shirley Chisholm

"Let nothing dim the light that shines from within."

- Maya Angelou

"Even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am."

- Janelle Monáe

"It started with my mom telling me I deserved to be in any room and shouldn't shrink myself to make someone else feel better about themselves."

- Arlan Hamilton

"I'm inspired by women. I'm inspired by black women. I'm inspired by women who have found their voice, and who know what they want (or at least what they don't want)."

- Paola Mathe

"I was born as a black woman for a reason, and I just want to make sure I don't miss it."

- Frédérique Harrel

"Dangerous is the woman who can give herself what she used to seek from others. Limitless is the woman who dares to name herself. The way I see it, shame cannot oppress what acceptance has already claimed for sovereignty."

- Tarana Burke

"If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's the power of using your voice."

- Michelle Obama

"What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters. You're going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you've had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone."

- Kamala Harris

"I'm not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn't open for me. I'm going to create my own door and walk through that."

- Ava DuVernay

"Anytime you get more than a couple of Black women together, you're creating this powerful mechanism for change."

- Kimberly Bryant

"Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them."

- Madam C.J. Walker

"Your voice has great power; don't be afraid to utilize it when needed. You're not an angry black woman; you're a woman who has something important to say. Your voice matters, and so do you."

- Stephanie LaHart

"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

"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

"I will no longer act on the outside in a way that contradicts the truth that I hold deeply inside. I will no longer act as if I were less than the whole person I know myself inwardly to be."

- Rosa Parks

"Power is not given to you. You have to take it."

- Beyoncé

"Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another."

- Toni Morrison

"You know, you do need mentors, but in the end, you really just need to believe in yourself."

- Diana Ross

"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

"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 Monáe

"If you prioritize yourself, you are going to save yourself."

- Gabrielle Union

"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

"You can be the lead in your own life."

- Kerry Washington

"I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all."

- Simone Biles

"I thrive on obstacles. If I'm told that it can't be told, then I push harder."

- Issa Rae

"I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."

- Audre Lorde

"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

"You can fall, but you can rise also."

- Angelique Kidjo

"I got my start by giving myself a start."

- Madam C.J. Walker

"Only make decisions that support your self-image, self-esteem, and self-worth."

- Oprah Winfrey

"You don't become what you want, you become what you believe."

- Oprah Winfrey

"I think too many people are afraid of failing. I'm not."

- Destiny Green

"Success is, liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

- Maya Angelou

"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

"No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid."

- Lupita Nyong'o

"I realized that I don't have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect, and beautiful journey of my life."

- Kerry Washington

"Don't wait until you've reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching that goal."

- Simone Biles

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength."

- Oprah Winfrey

"Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide."

- Marva Collins

"Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination."

- Mae Jemison

"Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest."

- Maya Angelou

"I don't want to force myself into an institution that doesn't seem to appreciate what I bring."

- Nikole Hannah Jones

"You don't have to settle for what people think you deserve."

- Nyma Tang

"I don't have to live up to that Superwoman myth. I can cry and be human and lean on people who can take care of me. That can be very liberating."

- Assata Shakur

"Loving ourselves and each other deepens our disruption of the dominant systems. They want us unwell, fearful, exhausted, and without deep self-love, because you are easier to manipulate when you are distracted by what is not real or true."

- Tricia Hersey

"My recipe for life is not being afraid of myself, afraid of what I think or of my opinions."

- Eartha Kitt

"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

"I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger."

- Serena Williams

"When anyone tells me I can't do anything, I'm just not listening anymore."

- Florence Griffith Joyner

"I didn't learn to be quiet when I had an opinion. The reason they knew who I was is because I told them."

- Ursula Burns

"It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it."

- Lou Holtz

"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas."

- Shirley Chisholm

"I have standards I don't plan on lowering for anybody…including myself."

- Zendaya

"I am a strong woman with or without this other person, with or without this job, and with or without these tight pants."

- Queen Latifah

"There's power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there's grace in being willing to know and hear others."

- Michelle Obama

"The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free."

- Oprah Winfrey

"The woman who doesn't require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet."

- Mohadesa Najumi

"Where there is a woman there is magic."

- Ntozake Shange

"If you are silent about your pain, they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it."

- Zora Neale Hurston

"Be healthy and take care of yourself, but be happy with the beautiful things that make you, you."

- Beyoncé

"When women support each other we can accomplish anything!"

- Kristen Noel Crawley

"I like being able to go into male-dominated spaces and blow their minds anyway."

- Yvonne Orji

"I consider myself a fighter and a revolutionary and I'm driven to stand up to injustices and inequities whenever I see them manifest."

- Kimberly Bryant

"I was raised by a mother who taught me that I was complete all by myself."

- Shaun Robinson

"Be authentic. You'll break through the static when you find your secret sauce and share it with the world."

- Grace Mahary

"I decided to bet on my own magic."

- Laci Jordan

"Find something you really believe in and that you won't quit until you've succeeded."

- Nancy Twine

"I learned early on in my life that no one will be there for you more than you; no one will take action for you to accomplish the things you want like you."

- Melissa Alcantara

"Take the mistakes and failures, and make something out of them."

- Ayesha Curry

"I choose to empower myself by empowering others."

- Kiana Lede

"Our parents always taught us from a young age that we can do anything we put our minds to and no to be afraid to dive in to do something that may not be considered things for little girls to be doing."

- Chloe x Halle

"Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and take risks. Be your most authentic self."

- Shani Darden

"When you move through fear and resistance, new strength and resilience that you never knew you had, takes control."

- Lalah Delia

"Find your own voice, and dont be afraid of telling your authentic-to-only-you stories."

- Noelle Scaggs

"My mama has always—and still—teaches me to never give up. She always compared success to access inside a house. She'd say, 'It doesn't matter if you get into the house through a window, a door or through a hole in the roof—you just get in! Doesn't matter if the front door is closed. You get in!"

- Tyra Banks

"In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance."

- Phillis Wheatley

"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

"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 are on the eve of a complete victory. You can't go wrong. The world is behind you."

- Josephine Baker

"Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to change."

- Iyanla Vanzant

"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

"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

"A crown, if it hurts us, is not worth wearing."

- Pearl Bailey

"It's time for you to move, realizing that the thing you are seeking is also seeking you."

- Iyanla Vanzant

"Keep trying things. In my experience, you have to try things out that aren't for you in order to find what is for you."

- Tonya Rapley

"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

"Give light and people will find the way."

- Ella Baker

"No matter where life takes me there will always be someone who's threatened by it."

- Franchesca Ramsey

"The way we think of ourselves has everything to do with how the world sees us and how we see ourselves successfully acknowledged by the world."

- Arlene Rankin

"I don't have to go around trying to save everybody anymore; that's not my job."

- Jada Pinkett Smith

"As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you- the first time around."

- Oprah Winfrey

"I think it would be a far greater world if people were kinder and more respectful to each other."

- Aretha Franklin

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them – the first time."

- Maya Angelou

"I get angry about things, then go on and work."

- Toni Morrison

"I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can't fail if you do that."

- Anita Hill

"Surround yourself with people who are going to nurture your gifts and be transparent about your growth and how to improve."

- BOSCO

"I look at hurdles as a time to learn, pivot, & get excited for what's next."

- Krystle Rowry

"When I hit a hurdle I remember what I'm working toward in the first place."

- Kaya Thomas

"Communicating with clarity, purpose, passion, and honesty will enable you to serve others in a profound way."

- Janice Bryant Howroyd

"I did my best, and God did the rest."

- Hattie McDaniel

"I maintained my edge by always being a student; you will always have something new to learn."

- Jackie Joyner-Kersee

"Admitting mistakes is a fundamental skill too few of us learn. In part, this is because we've been taught it's wrong to be wrong."

- Stacey Abrams

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."

- Oprah Winfrey

"Life is short, and it's up to you to make it sweet."

- Sarah Louise Delany

"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure."

- Oprah Winfrey

"Walls turned sideways are bridges."

- Angela Davis

"The way to win is to try."

- Stacey Abrams

"Determine to live life with flair and laughter."

- Maya Angelou

"When the heart is right, the mind and body will follow."

- Coretta Scott King

"Give negativity little to no oxygen."

- Erica Chidi

"Actions speak louder than words and execution is everything."

- Morgan DeBaun

"Don't spend life daydreaming about 'what could be'. Invest your energy in what is right in front of you and see how it can be cultivated into something meaningful."

- Aisha Bowe

"The more your honor your spirit and soul, the more that energy grows around you."

- Lion Babe

"You learn to make space and time for yourself."

- Kelsey Lu

"Representation is important in the stories we tell."

- Nia Batts

"My focus is on making the world see that kids are not just the future. We are the present as well and we can change the world now."

- Mari Copeny

"Any challenge at hand is an opportunity, a chance to dig deeper."

- Denise Vasi

"All victories count. There's no need to compare yours to someone else's."

- Jenna Wortham

"The day I die, I'd like people to remember me as someone who taught them how to be fearless and how to create their own destiny. I would love my daughter to say I was her motivator and role model."

- Massy Arias

"A bump in the road doesn't mean it's impossible. Sometimes it just calls on you to push through a little bit harder."

- Angela Manuel-Davis

"If you're not teachable, there's no way you can evolve."

- Courtney Adeleye

"No rain. No rainbows... people relate to authenticity and I truly believe that being vulnerable helps amplify that."

- Alex Elle

"Hearing a NO is a sign that you're growing and aiming higher and higher."

- Shantell Martin

"Maintain your integrity and trust your gut."

- Gabi Gregg

"Sometimes you have to trust that even without past experience, you can figure it out."

- Shiona Turini

"It's important when things go wrong to stay calm, assess the situation in a realistic way, and shift gears accordingly."

- Sophia R.

"Understand that you cannot apply equal energy to everything. Be conscious of your immediate goals and operate accordingly."

- Ally Love

"Nothing is easy, so stop trying to figure out easy and instead focus on enjoyable, fulfilling, meaningful."

- Sarah Kunst

"Believe in yourself, don't be afraid of change, and have a perspective."

- TyLynn Nguyen

"Being an entrepreneur is basically just a series of unending failures... You can choose any of these moments to give up, or you can see them as learning curves that will prepare you for the next thing."

- Trinity Mouzon Wofford

"It takes time to discover yourself, but once you do, the rest is history."

- Tia Mowry

"Sometimes things fall apart, it's part of the journey."

- Nyesha Arrington

"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them."

- Ida B. Wells

"We have an obligation to ourselves and to our communities to be bigger than the moment."

- Brittany Packnett Cunningham

"I am so hip even my errors are correct."

- Nikki Giovanni

"Reclaiming my time."

- Maxine Waters

"Don't be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it's just death."

- Lena Horne

"It's better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret."

- Jackie Joyner-Kersee

"Without justice there can be no love."

- Bell Hooks

"You just have to show up."

- Rev. Jesse Jackson

"To get into the room with big brands, you need a reason to be there. Think about what you can bring to the table that's unique, valuable, or exciting. Be the meeting that people look forward to."

- Melissa Bennet

"If we are truly a great nation, the truth cannot destroy us."

- Nikole Hannah-Jones

"Just remember the world is not a playground but a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday but an education. One eternal lesson for us all: to teach us how better we should love."

- Barbara Jordan

"No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you."

- Althea Gibson