20 Inspirational Quotes to Start Black Students Strong in 2025

A New Year, a Fresh Opportunity

2024 was a challenging year for Black students, teachers, and language. Some school districts banned books, others restricted how classrooms discussed Black history, and others tried to curb Black kids from using cultural slang. Outside of the classroom, many young Black people were and still are discouraged by the return of President-elect Donald Trump, —a candidate who openly used racist language in his defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.

It has all shown that words still matter.

But the start of a new year brings a clean slate, a fresh opportunity to use words for inspiration and goal-setting. For Black students, messages of encouragement and wisdom — especially from educators and leaders who share their cultural heritage — can foster an empowering sense of identity and pride.

Inspirational Quotes to Uplift and Inspire

1. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” — Malcolm X, activist and educator.
2. “When you control a man’s thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions.” — Dr. Carter G. Woodson, scholar, historian and the father of Black History Month.
3. “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, educator and founder of Tuskegee Institute
4. “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes, poet and educator.
5. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader.
6. “You are your best thing.” — Toni Morrison, Nobel Prize-winning author and educator.
7. “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” — Angela Davis, civil rights activist and educator.
8. “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” — Maya Angelou, author and educator
9. “Knowledge is the pathway from slavery to freedom.” — Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and educator.
10. “Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins.” — former President Barack Obama.
11. “I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can’t fail if you do that.” — Anita Hill, attorney and educator.
12. “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try.” — civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
13. “Freedom is never given; it is won.” — A. Philip Randolph, labor leader and civil rights activist.
14. “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” — scientist and educator George Washington Carver.
15. “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair.” — Rep. Shirley Chisholm, a New York Democrat and the first Black woman to run for president.
16. “Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.” — Jess Lair, educator and philosopher.
17. “History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” — former First Lady Michelle Obama.
18. “The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.” — Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman University.
19. “I believe a child going without an education is a crime.” — Vice President Kamala Harris.
20. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — South African President Nelson Mandela.

Conclusion

As we welcome 2025, we hope these inspirational quotes will motivate and empower Black students to start the year strong. Remember, words have the power to uplift and inspire, and these quotes are a reminder of the wisdom and resilience of Black leaders and educators. As we move forward, let us continue to use our words to promote positivity, hope, and change.

FAQs

* Who are the inspirational quotes from?
+ The quotes are from a variety of Black educators, leaders, and activists, including Malcolm X, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Frederick Douglass, former President Barack Obama, Anita Hill, Rosa Parks, A. Philip Randolph, George Washington Carver, Rep. Shirley Chisholm, Jess Lair, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Mary McLeod Bethune, Vice President Kamala Harris, and South African President Nelson Mandela.
* What is the purpose of these inspirational quotes?
+ The purpose of these inspirational quotes is to motivate and empower Black students to start the year strong, and to promote positivity, hope, and change.