As we celebrate Black History Month, it’s an opportune time to inspire and educate young minds about the remarkable achievements, struggles, and contributions of African-American individuals throughout history.
Black History Month quotes for elementary students serve as powerful tools to convey the essence of these stories, instill values of equality and unity, and motivate them to overcome challenges.
By sharing impactful quotes with elementary students, we encourage them to embrace empathy and recognize the potential within themselves to create positive change.
These selected Black History quotes for elementary students not only showcase the wisdom of prominent figures but also embody the spirit of hope and determination that have marked the journey toward equality and understanding.
Black History Month Quotes for Elementary Students
These Black History Month quotes for elementary students highlight the positive aspects of African-American achievements and resilience.
1. “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
2. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because of the color of your skin. You are capable of greatness.” – Barack Obama
3. “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value.” – Maya Angelou
4. “I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.” – Muhammad Ali
5. “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” – Booker T. Washington
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6. “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” – Wilma Rudolph
7. “You are your best thing.” – Toni Morrison
8. “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” – Jesse Owens
9. “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chisholm
10. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama
11. “The only way to deal with these things is to tell the truth. That’s the difficulty in it, but at the same time, it’s the saving grace.” – James Baldwin
12. “Never underestimate the power of a dream and the influence of a human being. You can change the world.” – Muhammad Ali
13. “You are never too young to make a difference. Your voice matters.” – Ruby Bridges
14. “To be a young black woman writer is to be thrust into the center of a raging storm. But for me, I’d rather be in the center of that than in the quiet place where I might not know what is happening in the world.” – Audre Lorde
15. “Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope.” – Robert F. Kennedy
16. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
17. “Your crown has been bought and paid for. Put it on your head and wear it.” – James Baldwin
18. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
19. “I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” – Morgan Freeman
20. “We all have the ability to change the world, one small act of kindness at a time.” – Jackie Robinson
21. “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” – Shirley Chisholm
22. “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Rosa Parks
23. “We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
24. “I am where I am because of the bridges that I crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge. Harriet Tubman was a bridge. Ida B. Wells was a bridge. Madame C.J. Walker was a bridge.” – Oprah Winfrey
25. “If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.” – Toni Morrison
26. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
27. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Marian Anderson
28. “Have a vision. Be demanding.” – Colin Powell
29. “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” – Malcolm X
30. “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
31. “The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself — the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us — that’s where it’s at.” – Jesse Owens
32. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius (This quote resonates with the resilience of African-American individuals throughout history.)
33. “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” – Thurgood Marshall
34. “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.” – Carl Jung (This quote can be applied to the strength and determination shown by African-Americans in overcoming challenges.)
35. “You can’t let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you.” – Barack Obama
36. “Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts… good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt.” – Oprah Winfrey
37. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
38. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
39. “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.” – Alice Walker
40. “I’m not going to let anybody steal my joy.” – Cicely Tyson
41. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln (This quote speaks to the active role African-Americans have taken in shaping their own futures.)
42. “I am my best work—a series of road maps, reports, recipes, doodles, and prayers from the front lines.” – Audre Lorde
43. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
Final Thoughts On Black History Quotes for Elementary Students
Incorporating Black History Month quotes for elementary students into class discussions and activities can ignite their curiosity and open their hearts.
Spark in them the courage to become advocates for justice and equality.