10 Powerful Quotes From Black Women Creators

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month, which honors the achievements of Black Americans and is a time to recognize their indelible part in U.S. history. Curious about the history of Black History Month? Read this story by Jonathan Franklin for NPR.

Quotes From Black Women Creators

Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.3

“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man.”
~ Alma Thomas, artist and teacher

“Art is the one place we all turn to for solace.”
~Carrie Mae Weems, photographer, installation artist

“I have standards I don’t plan on lowering for anybody…including myself.”
~Zendaya, actress, and singer

“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.”
~Augusta Savage, sculptor

Augusta Savage

“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, singer, songwriter, and actress

“Walls turned sideways are bridges.”
~Angela Davis, political activist, philosopher, academic, scholar, and author

“Know that you can start late, look different, be uncertain and still succeed.”
~Misty Copeland, ballet dancer

“You are on the eve of a complete victory. You can’t go wrong. The world is behind you.”
~Josephine Baker, entertainer, French Resistance agent, and civil rights activist

Josephine Baker

“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, actress, director, and producer

“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, singer, songwriter, and musician

Compiled by Erin Prather Stafford
Top image by by Papa Yaw from Pexels
Second image courtesy Smithsonian American Art Museum
Second image courtesy of New York Public Library
Third image courtesy of Library of Congress

Quotes From Black Women Creators

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