Showcasing the Power of Black Women: Empowering Quotes Every Black Women Should Know

1. We all have that one woman in our life whose words have impacted us in ways that we cannot begin to repay. Renequa Johnson, my 11th grade English teacher was that woman for me. Her class was the only class that I was guaranteed to attend. She gave me authors like Alice Walker and Toni Morrison and through example she taught me to command my voice. To me she embodied the power of a Black woman. Recently, I was reminded again of the power of the Black woman's voice-especially when she is advocating for herself. So for my return to blogging, I wanted to honor the woman who empowered my voice and introduced me to the voices of other strong Black women by showcasing the power of women through a list of quotes from some of my favorite Black women role models.
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3. “Power means happiness; power means hard work and sacrifice.” - Beyoncé Knowles
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5. "Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher." - Oprah Winfrey
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7. "You can't eat beauty, it doesn't sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and those around you." 
8. - Lupita Nyong'o
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10. “People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave.” -Assata Shakur
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12. "People have been murdered for less than what the Black Panthers did, so the question was for us: 'Do you want to live on your knees or die on your feet?'" - Kathleen Cleaver

“Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me.”- Sojourner Truth

1. “If you have a problem with people living their lives and being authentically who they are, you really should go and do some soul-searching.”- Laverne Cox

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

"Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and on do all you can with it, and make the life you want to live." - Mae Jemison

"You can't be hesitant about who you are' - Viola Davis

"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

"All great achievements require time." - Maya Angelo

"Don't be flirting with your gift, you better marry it." - Rapsody

"Every dream starts with a dreamer." - Harriet Tubman

"Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine within yourself so that you can hear it in others." - Marian Wright Edelman

"You wanna fly, you have to give up the shit that weighs you down." - Toni Morrison