Black History Month is almost at an end, and although the encouragement to learn about black history that takes place during this time is great, the black leaders we discuss during Black History Month are often exclusively men. Leaders like Dr. King, Malcolm X, and Nelson Mandela should, of course, continue to be talked about; however, it is imperative that we all take some time to learn about influential black women and the unique intersection between blackness and womanhood. Hopefully, these quotes from some of the most prominent black women of the past and present will inspire you to discover even more about black female leaders and the significance of intersectionality.
1. Harriet Tubman
"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."
2. Michelle Obama
"Young people, don't be afraid. Be focused, be determined, be hopeful, be empowered. Lead by example with hope, never fear, and know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life."
3. Rosa Parks
"People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically... No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."
4. Oprah Winfrey
"Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself."
5. Audre Lorde
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."
6. Dorothy Height
"I want to be remembered as one who used herself and anything she could touch to work for justice and freedom. I want to be remembered as one who tried."
7. Asha-Rose Migiro
"Nowhere in the world is a woman safe from violence. The strengthening of global commitment to counteract this plague is a movement whose time has come."
8. Beyoncé Knowles
"When you love and accept yourself, when you know who really cares about you, and when you learn from your mistakes, then you stop caring about what people who don't know you think."
9. Shonda Rhimes
" Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your life drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them."
10. Shirley Chisholm
"That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black, and a woman proves, I would think, that our society is not yet either just or free."
11. Mae Jemison
"Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's you life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live."
12. Wilma Rudolph
"The triumph can't be had without the struggle."
13. Fannie Lou Hamer
"Righteousness exalts a nation. Hate just makes people miserable."
14. Simone Biles
"It's amazing that I can inspire little kids to know that you can be short or tall, and your body type doesn't matter because you can do anything."
15. Diana Ross
"It takes a long time to get to be a diva. I mean, you gotta work at it."
16. Maya Angelou
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
17. Sojourner Truth
"Truth is powerful and it prevails."
18. Katherine Johnson
"Know how to learn. Then, want to learn."
19. Edmonia Lewis
"I have a strong sympathy for all women who have struggled and suffered."
20. Bessie Coleman
"I refused to take no for an answer."
21. Toni Morrison
"Being a black woman writer is not a shallow place but a rich place to write from. It doesn't limit my imagination; it expands it."
22. Tina Turner
"My legacy is that I stayed on course from beginning to end, because I believed in something inside of me."
23. Mary McLeod Bethune
"Believe in yourself, learn, and never stop wanting to build a better world."
24. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are. Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations."
25. Portia Simpson-Miller
"I'm a Christian woman, but I believe in human rights. No one should be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation."
26. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
"The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough."
27. Anna Tibaijuka
"The climb represents a mission of hope and a true lesson in overcoming adversity."
28. Claudia Rankine
"With Black Lives Matter, a more internalized change is being asked for recognition."
In conclusion...
The wise words and brave actions of these women will continue to be remembered. More than that, however, the accomplishments of these trailblazers will continue to be felt, especially by the black women and girls for whom these pioneers have laid the groundwork. Despite the undeniable contributions black women like the ones on this list have made to society, there is a troubling invisibility about those at this particular intersection. Whether it is a lack of representation in the media or a failure to discuss them in history classes, black women are repeatedly ignored or taken for granted. Although progress is being made in this respect, it is not being made quickly enough. Black women matter, and we need to make an effort to demonstrate this by learning about them, mourning them, speaking about them, writing about them, and fighting for them.
Learn more at:
http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/black-wom...
