It is definitely not easy to have lived in yesterday’s world being a woman of color. But guess what? It’s not that much easier to live in today’s world being a woman of color either. The rise of the feminist empire was just in the last 100 years with a lot more emphasis these days with more powerful women of color. These women are using their voices to speak up for the rest of us. #Grateful. Being a woman of color myself, I don’t remember growing up with many powerful women and even the ones that had a voice, were only able to whisper.
What is certain is that as a woman of color we need more representation and RESPECT. In the home, in the work place, at the check out counter, at the gas pump, and within our own awareness too. Being a woman of color should be something we carry with pride not burden. Like these women who came before us, let us too stand up for a cause greater than ourselves. And let’s do that with a little inspiration from these women of color.
Related: 25 Inspiring Quotes about Life
As you will see, there is a recurring theme with my list below. Oprah and Maya Angelou are quoted below many times. And this is a testament to the value and powerful inspiration they have provided me and I hope they do the same for you.
1:
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
– Maya Angelou
2:
“There’s really no such thing as the ‘voiceless’. There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.”
– Arundhati Roy
3:
“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.”
– Oprah
4:
“You tell me to quiet down ’cause my opinions make me less beautiful, but I was not made with a fire in my belly so I could be put out. I was not made with a lightness on my tongue so I could be easy to swallow. I was made heavy half blade and half silk—difficult to forget and not easy for the mind to follow.”
– Rupi Kaur
5:
“Self-esteem means knowing you are the dream.”
– Oprah
6:
“I was built this way for a reason, so I’m going to use it.”
– Simone Biles
7:
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
– Maya Angelou
8:
“It was when I realized I needed to stop trying to be somebody else and be myself, I actually started to own, accept and love what I had.”
– Tracee Ellis Ross
9:
“What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.”
– Oprah
10:
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
– Maya Angelou
11:
“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”
– Michelle Obama
12:
“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
13:
“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”
– Shonda Rhimes
14:
“In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth, women are not merely tolerated but valued.”
– Aung San Suu Kyi
15:
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failures is another steppingstone to greatness.”
– Oprah Winfrey
16:
“Each time a woman stands up for herself without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”
– Maya Angelou
17:
“For me, the only advice I ever give women is we want to support each other without distracting each other. Heads down, work really hard, pretend your locked you in your room or whatever, and just do your work.“
– Mindy Kaling
18:
“Women sometimes go too far, it’s true. But it’s only when you go too far that others listen.“
– Indira Gandhi
19:
“Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to change.”
– Iyanla Vanzant
20:
“Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.”
– Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In Conclusion
What quotes have inspired you? Whether or not you are a woman of color, or a woman, or not a woman, may these quotes inspire your actions. I hope that with the few words of some of the writers, you can see the impact, the struggle, the passion, and the gumption of a woman of color. Next time you see a woman of color, look without judgement but understanding of the struggle that was in becoming who she is today.
What quotes inspired you?
Featured photo courtesy of unsplash.com
