100+ Black Women Quotes On Self-Love, Life, and Success

We have curated inspirational black women quotes from authors, actresses, activists, and more. 

There is nothing like the power of a black woman.

In the comment section below, let us know which resonated most with you.

You may also enjoy our article on:

• Black History Month Quotes
• Angela Davis Quotes
• Bessie Coleman Quotes

The National Women’s Law Center has reported that black women face unique challenges in the workplace, but those who embrace their talents and skills have been able to break through barriers and achieve success.

This highlights the importance of embracing black women quotes from successful women to help affected groups recognize their strengths and use them to their advantage in the workplace.

What are the benefits of reading black women’s quotes?

A black woman’s wisdom is endless.

This collection is a fraction, featuring quotes that are:

• Insightful
• Powerful
• Beautiful

These quotes come from a population that others have tried to silence for too long.

They will help you better understand and value people who might differ from you.

We hope to inspire you during your day, whether you are powering through a workday or enjoying a much-needed self-care day. 

Whether you scribble your favorite quote in your journal or repost the quote on Instagram, be sure to record your favorites for any time you need a pick-me-up. 

Black women are a powerful force in society.

They have faced discrimination and oppression throughout history, yet they have persisted and continue to thrive.

Black women have made significant contributions to our world, from activists and entrepreneurs to artists and politicians.

We must continue to uplift and celebrate black women because they are an essential part of our society and have much to offer.

Check out the quotes below to learn from the minds of amazing black women. 

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

Top 10 black women quotes

According to a study by the American Psychological Association, black women who prioritize self-love and self-care have been found to have higher overall well-being and life satisfaction.

The study findings highlight the importance of using black women quotes to assist others to develop these essential values.

1. “A crown, if it hurts us, is not worth wearing.” — Pearl Bailey

You will also enjoy our article on domestic violence quotes.

2. “It’s time for you to move, realizing that the thing you are seeking is also seeking you.” — Iyanla Vanzant

You will also enjoy our article on Madam C.J Walker quotes.

3. “You can fall, but you can rise also.” – Angelique Kidjo

You will also enjoy our article on Shirley Chisholm quotes.

4. “If you prioritize yourself, you are going to save yourself.” – Gabrielle Union

You will also enjoy our article on Ida B. Wells quotes.

5. “Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.” – Sadie Delany

You will also enjoy our article on W.E.B Du Bois quotes.

6. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”  – Oprah Winfrey

You will also enjoy our article on Maya Angelou quotes.

7. “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” ― Angela Davis

You will also enjoy our article on Nikki Giovanni quotes.

8. “You are on the eve of a complete victory. You can’t go wrong. The world is behind you.” – Josephine Baker

You will also enjoy our article on black and white quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on sisterhood quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on Bell Hooks quotes.

Inspirational quotes you should read

In a survey conducted by Essence magazine, black women ranked personal achievement and self-empowerment as their top priorities, indicating a strong desire to embrace their strengths and reach their full potential.

Black Women Quotes provide a powerful tool for empowering all women and encouraging them to take control of their own lives.

11. “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

Enjoy our article on black lives matter quotes.

12. “Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to change.”— Iyanla Vanzant

You might like these international Women’s Day quotes to celebrate womanhood.

13. “I don’t have to go around trying to save everybody anymore; that’s not my job.” — Jada Pinkett Smith

Check out our article on Barbara Jordan quotes.

14. “No matter where life takes me there will always be someone who’s threatened by it.” —  Franchesca Ramsey

Enjoy our article on Lizzo quotes.

15. “It isn’t where you come from; it’s where you’re going that counts.” – Ella Fitzgerald

Check out our article on pretty Woman quotes.

16. “In a perfect dream, things would be set exactly the way you would want them. But I think it’s more interesting that in real life, things aren’t exactly the way you planned.” — Naomi Osaka

Enjoy our article on social media quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on quotes for girls.

18. “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.”— Serena Williams

You will also enjoy our article on Inner Beauty Quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on self esteem quotes.

Wise quotes from successful black women

A 2020 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that increased representation of black women in leadership positions has a significant positive effect on black women’s academic and professional aspirations.

This demonstrates the value of sharing quotes from successful black women, as it can inspire others to pursue their own goals and strive for success.

20. “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” — Zora Neale Hurston

You will also enjoy our article on single mom quotes.

21. “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I only have to follow my heart and concentrate on what I want to say to the world. I run my world.” — Beyoncé

You will also enjoy our article on Nicki Minaj quotes.

22. “Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect, and make everyone else deal with you the same way. ” – Nikki Giovanni

You will also enjoy our article on sassy quotes.

23. “I’d rather regret the risks that didn’t work out than the chances I didn’t take at all.” – Simone Biles (see more quotes by 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

You will also enjoy our article on feminism quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on self care quotes.

Black women quotes on success

Research conducted by the University of Michigan found that role models, such as the black women featured in the quotes, can have a profound impact on self-efficacy and resilience in the face of challenges.

This underscores the importance of sharing these quotes, as they can serve as a source of strength and encouragement for women seeking to overcome obstacles in their own lives.

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

You will also enjoy our article on women supporting women quotes.

27. “I thrive on obstacles. If I’m told that it can’t be told, then I push harder.” – Issa Rae

You will also enjoy our article on self acceptance quotes.

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

You will also enjoy our article on independent woman.

More quotes you won’t want to miss

A study from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill revealed that individuals who read or listen to stories of successful black women are more likely to engage in positive self-reflection and personal development.

By sharing quotes from accomplished black women, the article can help readers to grow and become better versions of themselves.

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

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
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of passion quotes expressing the love of things you’re interested in.

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

Don’t forget to read these motivational women empowerment quotes to help you succeed in life.

Black women quotes on self-love

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. “Yes, I do have a big ego… and I am in love with myself… Because if you don’t love yourself how can anybody love you back?” – Mel B

40. “I’m not ashamed of what I am and that I have curves and that I’m thick. I like my body.” – Alicia Keys

41. “You can’t be hesitant about who you are.” – Viola Davis

42. “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” —Dr. Mae Jemison

43. “Keep going and keep speaking up, even if your voice shakes.” — Allyson Felix

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

Black women quotes to encourage you

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. “Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.” – Coretta Scott King

48. “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

49. “Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide.” – Marva Collins

50. “Women make up more than half of the world’s population and potential. So it is neither just nor practical for their voices, for our voices, to go unheard at the highest levels of decision-making.” – Meghan Markle

You might also like these strong women quotes and sayings to share with your tribe

Other inspirational black women quotes

51. “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” — Ida B. Wells
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of historic Ida B. Wells quotes about battling racism and sexism.

52. “Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” — Dr. Mae Jemison

53. “We are all gifted. That is our inheritance.” – Ethel Waters

54. “Let nothing dim the light that shines from within.” – Maya Angelou

55. “If women want any rights more than they’s got, why don’t they just take them, and not be talking about it.” — Sojourner Truth
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of inspirational quotes for women on strength and leadership.

56. “Beauty is not just a white girl. It’s so many different flavors and shades.” – Queen Latifah

57. “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” — Shirley Chisholm

58. “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

59. “The path to your success is not as fixed and inflexible as you think.” — Misty Copeland

60. “The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within—strength, courage, dignity.” — Ruby Dee

Powerful black women quotes

61. “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” — Michelle Obama

62. “When the heart is right, the mind and body will follow.” – Coretta Scott King

63. “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.” — Coretta Scott King

64. “Perseverance is my motto.” – Madam C.J. Walker

65. “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.” — Coretta Scott King

66. “No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.” –
Althea Gibson

67. “Each person must live their life as a model for others.” – Rosa Parks

68. “We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.” – Angela Davis

69. “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.” – Maya Angelou

70. “For I am my mother’s daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart.” —Mary McLeod Bethune

You might also like these motivational, know your value quotes.

Thought-provoking black women quotes

71. “We must always attempt to lift as we climb.” – Angela Davis

72. “This black woman rocks on a phenomenal level!” – Stephanie Lahart

73. “The collective, orchestrated fury of Black women can move the whole world.” ― Brittney Cooper

74. “When you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone.” – Coretta Scott King

75. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou

76. “I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow; if I fail, if I succeed, at least I’ll live as I believe.” – Whitney Houston

77. “When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.”— Ava DuVernay

78. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” — Ella Fitzgerald

79. “Black skin was filled with so many barriers, so many restrictions, so many.” – Randi Pink

80. “As a black woman, the decision to love yourself just as you are is a radical act. And I’m as radical as they come.” – Bethanee Epifani J. Bryant

If you’re enjoying this article, be sure to also check out these queen quotes celebrating the women in your life.

More black women quotes and sayings

81. “She said black women are so special. Few men of any color and even fewer white women can deal with how fabulous we are.” – Maya Angelou

82. “Surely, there’s strength in being dressed for a storm, even when there’s no storm in sight?” – Yaa Gyasi

83. “You can’t just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream. You’ve got to get out there and make it happen for yourself.” — Diana Ross

84. “America made us heroines not wives. We hid our ladyness to save our lives.” – Lucille Clifton

85. “Rare is the ministry praying that they would be worthy of the giftedness of Black minds and hearts.” – Austin Channing Brown

86. “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

87. “To turn black women into objectified others was to underline their difference; they may be beautiful, but they are of another kind, separate from the dominant understanding of attractiveness.” – Anne Helen Petersen

88. “We believe in equality for all, and privileges for none. This is a belief that each American regardless of background has equal standing in the public forum, all of us. Because we believe this idea so firmly, we are an inclusive, rather than an exclusive party. Let everybody come.” – Barbara Jordan

89. “I am the essence of magic, its mysteriousness, its beauty and its ability to make things happen when people couldn’t see how!” – Jenaitre Farquharson

90. “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” —Lena Horne, Dancer

You might also like these Bad Bitch quotes that will inspire confidence within you.

Black women quotes from Beyoncé and Michelle Obama

91. “Am I good enough? Yes I am.” — Michelle Obama

92. “Power is not given to you. You have to take it.” — Beyoncé Knowles

93. “I embrace mistakes. They make you who you are.” — Beyoncé Knowles

94. “Don’t try to lessen yourself for the world; let the world catch up to you.” — Beyoncé Knowles

95. “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” — Beyoncé Knowles

96. “Failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience. Don’t be afraid to fail.” — Michelle Obama

97. “Be healthy and take care of yourself, but be happy with the beautiful things that make you, you.” — Beyoncé Knowles

98. “A true diva is graceful, and talented, and strong, and fearless and brave and someone with humility.” — Beyoncé Knowles

99. “Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.” — Beyoncé Knowles

100. “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

Black women quotes from cultural icons

101. “You are your best thing.” — Toni Morrison

102. “Self-esteem means knowing you are the dream.” — Oprah Winfrey

103. “I was built this way for a reason, so I’m going to use it.” — Simone Biles 

104. “Even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am.” — Janelle Monáe

105. “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” — Maya Angelou

106. “I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can’t fail if you do that.” — Anita Hill

107. “You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served.” — Nina Simone

108. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” — Alice Walker

109. “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” – Audre Lorde

110. “Don’t feel entitled to anything you didn’t sweat and struggle for.” – Marian Wright Edelman

Black women quotes from the talented Zendaya

111. “There is no such thing as ugly.” — Zendaya

112. “People always want to doubt you.” — Zendaya

113. “Why limit yourself? I feel like I can do anything.” — Zendaya

114. “Everyone loves Beyonce. If you don’t love Beyonce, we can’t talk.” — Zendaya

115. “Sticking with your vision and what you believe in is so, so important.” —  Zendaya

116. “If there’s any definition to being perfect, you’re perfect at being yourself.” — Zendaya

117. “I don’t think people understand the power of social media or our phones.” — Zendaya

118. “Remember that we are all human beings trying to do what we love to do.” — Zendaya

119. “A lot of people don’t realize that hair is a big thing for a lot of people, not just African-American women. It’s something to be aware of and to be cautious of.” — Zendaya

120. “It’s hard as a young person of a different ethnicity or background to look at the TV and not see anyone who looks like you. Representation is very important.” — Zendaya

Black women quotes from Alice Walker

121. “No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow.” – Alice Walker

122. “Nobody is as powerful as we make them out to be.”― Alice Walker

123. “Hard times require furious dancing. Each of us is proof.” – Alice Walker

124. “Why any woman give a shit what people think is a mystery to me.”― Alice Walker

125. “Activism is my rent for living on the planet.” – Alice Walker

126. “I have fought and kicked and fasted and prayed and cursed and cried myself to the point of existing.”― Alice Walker

127. “Being happy is not the only happiness.” – Alice Walker

128. “You must learn to love only that which cannot be stolen.”― Alice Walker

129. “In search of my mother’s garden, I found my own.” – Alice Walker

130. “The world is changing. It is no longer a world just for boys and men”― Alice Walker

Strong independent black woman quotes

131. “I had to make my own living and my own opportunity. But I made it!” – Madam CJ Walker

132. “You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” –Marian Wright Edelman

133. “I was built this way for a reason, so I’m going to use it.” – Simone Biles

134. “No person has the right to rain on your dreams.” – Marian Wright Edelman

135. “The most significant successes come from letting your light shine, embracing failure, and getting good at being wrong.” – Stacey Abrams

136. “Am I bossy? Absolutely. I don’t like to lose, and if I’m told ‘no,’ then I find another way to get my ‘yes.’ But I’m a loyal person.” – Naomi Campbell

137. “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” – Angela Davis

138. “A great figure or physique is nice, but it’s self-confidence that makes someone really sexy.” – Vivica A. Fox

139. ”If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chisolm

140. “Just be honest and true to yourself. If your friends around you love you, they’ll wish you the best and want only what’s going to make you happy.” – Meagan Good

Motivational Black Women Quotes To Overcome Fear

141. “The greatest gift is not being afraid to question”. ― Ruby Dee

142. “Financial independence gives us the power to decide our futures and liberate our conception of what’s possible.” ― Stacey Abrams

143. “Always be smarter than the people who hire you.” ― Lena Horne

144. “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

145. “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” ― Shirley Chisolm

146. “I truly believe that if you put your goals in writing, speak them out loud, and work for them, they will happen.” ― Ciara

147. “No matter how far a person can go, the horizon is still way beyond you.” ― Zora Neale Hurston

148. “People think about the word ‘fearless’ to mean without fear. I see it to actually mean ‘with fear but you do it anyway’.” ― Luvvie Ajayi Jones

149. “Never ever let somebody stop you or shame you from being yourself.” ― Lizzo

150. “Don’t spend all of your time trying to be like someone else because you can never be them and they can never be you.” ― Raven Symone

Black Women Quotes To Cut Off Racism

151. “Black women have not historically stood in the pulpit, but that doesn’t undermine the fact that they built the churches and maintain the pulpits.” ― Maya Angelou

152. “Work for black women has been an important and valued dimension of Afrocentric definitions of black motherhood.” ― Patricia Hill Collins

153. “Being the person I am, you know, the size I am, being a woman, being a black woman, there’s not a lot of roles for us.” ― Amber Riley

154. “I was blessed to get an education available to few black women in Africa at that time. Every woman should be able to get an education so she can serve others.” ― Julia Mavimbela

155. “If, with the nation watching, three black women at three different levels can’t get justice… for this community, you tell me where you’re going to get it in our country.” ― Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

156. “I write because I am a Black woman, listening attentively to her people.” ― Maya Angelou

157. “I write to tell the truth about the black condition as I see it. Therefore, I write to offer a black woman’s view of the world.” ― Sonia Sanchez

158. “Like a lot of Black women, I have always had to invent the power my freedom requires.” ― June Jordan

159. “I don’t drink or do any drugs. I never have and I never will. I don’t need them. I’m a black woman from the land of the free, home of the brave, and I figure I don’t need another illusion.” ― Bertice Berry

160. “No woman on this whole earth can please me and cook for me and socialize and talk to me like my American black woman.” ― Muhammad Ali

Black Women Quotes on Resilience and Power of Black Women

161. “Black women are the backbone of the black community.” ― Angela Davis

162. “Black women have always been the unsung heroes of our communities.” ― Tarana Burke

163. “Black women are the backbone of the feminist movement.” ― Bell Hooks

164. “Black women are the most disrespected and unprotected group of people in America.” ― Malcolm X

165. “The greatness of black women lies in their ability to survive and still stand tall.” ― Maya Angelou

166. “Black women are the backbone of the black family.” ― Toni Morrison

167. “Black women have always been the gatekeepers of our communities.” ― Kimberlé Crenshaw

168. “Black women are the heart and soul of the civil rights movement.” ― John Lewis

169. “Black women are the backbone of the church.” ― Ida B. Wells

170. “Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party.” ― Stacey Abrams

Where are you on your journey to self-acceptance?

No matter how you define success, self-acceptance is crucial to achieving it.

Whether you are at the starting line or halfway through your journey toward self-acceptance, remember that you are not walking alone.

Many of the black women featured above have traveled through their own journeys and reemerged as happier people. 

Just give yourself time.

Soon, you will reach those personal goals.

If you know someone on a similar journey, share one of the above quotes with them on their social media page.

Sometimes, all we need is an extra push to keep going. 

Did we miss one of your favorite motivational black women quotes?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.