Keep on Movin: Quotes on Perseverance from Black Women

♥ Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped before you……..yet, someone survived.  You can do anything you choose to do. – Dr. Maya Angelou

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

♥I get angry about things, then go on and work. –Toni Morrison

♥ I didn’t have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life. – Tina Turner

♥Your silence will not protect you. –Audre Lorde

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

♥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

♥ You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.– Maya Angelou

♥Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday. – Wilma Rudolph

1. I am not here to shrink so somebody else can feel tall. I move with rhythm, wisdom, and a peace that knows my name.

2. My softness is not up for public debate. I can be tender, brilliant, guarded, joyful, and free all at once.

3. I release the lie that I have to be liked before I can be believed. My truth still has a spine.

4. I do not have to perform pain perfectly. What happened matters, even when my voice shakes, rises, pauses, or burns.

5. I am not “too much.” I am full-bodied soul, sacred memory, laughter, discernment, and divine Black woman rhythm.

6. I am allowed to notice what feels wrong. My spirit has been keeping records before my mouth found the words.

7. I do not let stereotypes borrow my reflection. I know who I am, and I return every false name to sender.

8. I deserve love that does not punish my clarity, envy my shine, or try to make a cage out of commitment.

9. I can rest without guilt, speak without apology, and heal without asking permission from people who benefited from my silence.

10. I am a whole Black woman, not a rumor, not a role, not a wound. I am melody, thunder, honey, and home.