When Black Women Speak, We Listen

Black women make the world go round

Black women continue to leave an indelible mark across all aspects of society from activism, and politics, to literature, entertainment, and sports.

When we take up space, magic happens — and when we speak, people pay attention.

While the world does not always support Black women the way it should, we show up and show out, consistently rising above any negativity and vitriol that may come our way. We run for office, we innovate, we shake things up, we soar, and we advocate on behalf of our culture and community.

We love seeing Black women living unapologetically, and our words hold so much power. This Women's History Month, we're highlighting some of the most insightful, relatable, and inspiring quotes from Black women throughout the years.

THE ACTIVISTS

• "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." — Ida B. Wells
• "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
• "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
• "We have an obligation to ourselves and to our communities to be bigger than the moment." — Brittany Packnett Cunningham

THE WRITERS

• "I am so hip even my errors are correct." — Nikki Giovanni
• "If we are truly a great nation, the truth cannot destroy us." — Nikole Hannah-Jones
• "If you are silent about your pain, they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it." — Zora Neale Hurston
• "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

THE POLITICAL HEAVYWEIGHTS

• "If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's the power of using your voice." — Michelle Obama
• "Reclaiming my time." — Maxine Waters
• "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
• "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

THE ENTERTAINERS

• "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
• "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
• "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

THE ATHLETES

• "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'd rather regret the risk that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all." — Simone Biles
• "It's better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." — Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Share your favorite quote with us by tagging @NAACP on social media and use the hashtag #WhenBlackWomenSpeak. Follow the @NAACP's Instagram page this month for more words of wisdom.