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10 Powerful Quotes by 10 Influential Black Women

Updated: Mar 16, 2021


Photo by Bestbe Models from Pexels

Although Black women have been an integral part of the workforce for decades, they are now making strides in traditionally male-dominated industries. Yet, for all of the contributions that Black women make in society today, there's still a lot to overcome. However, if there is one thing we've learned about women, it's that women truly don't need the approval or encouragement of anyone else to succeed in their goals. There's something unique in how women set goals, build their vision and create the tools they need to see those goals through.


Here are 10 quotes by 10 influential Black women that will inspire you:


1. "Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men." – Katherine Johnson, the first Black woman to work for NASA.


2. "At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can." – Frida Kahlo, 20th-century Mexican painter.


3. "Think like a queen. A queen if not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness." – Oprah Winfrey


4. "Don't ever make decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn't." – Michelle Obama


5. "I think the truth of the matter is, people who end up as 'first' don't actually set out to be first. They set out to do something they love and it just so happens that they are the first to do it." -- Condoleezza Rice, Former U.S. Secretary of State


6. "Power's not given to you. You have to take it." -- Beyonce


7. "You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them." - Shonda Rhimes


8. "Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination." — Dr. Mae Jemison


9. "I can't tell you how many times I've been given a no, only to find that a better, brighter, bigger yes was around the corner." -Arlan Hamilton


10. "Don't let anyone convince you that your dream, your vision to be an entrepreneur, is something that you shouldn't do. What often happens is that people who are well-meaning, who really care for us, are afraid for us and talk us out of it." — Cathy Hughes


We hope you return to these inspirational quotes when life throws you a curveball and you need some momentum to keep moving forward.


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