Booker T. Washington

"The Negro must learn to patronize his own kind and encourage Negro enterprise."

"A man is in danger of losing his soul when he ceases to sympathize with the difficulties of his fellowmen."

"The Negro has within himself the materials out of which to construct a high and noble civilization."

"I have never believed that the Negro should depend upon any other race for his complete education."

"At the present time, the Negro is making more progress in securing a practical education than in securing a theoretical education."

"Success comes from patient, diligent work done in the ordinary way that it must be done."

"The Negro must learn that he cannot build himself up on the degradation of anyone else."

"There is a lesson in the life of nearly every man that is worth learning and worth teaching."

"The Negro should feel that his future rests in his own hands, not in the hands of others."

"We cannot escape history; we must learn from it and apply its lessons to our present and future."

"The Negro must learn to make sacrifices, for without sacrifice there is no progress."

"At the foundation of every successful and progressive community is a love of humanity."

"The Negro must not allow himself to be crushed by the weight of prejudice and injustice."

"Intelligence and Christian character must be the foundation of the Negro's future."

"The Negro who seeks to enter society at the top will find the doors closed."

"A race cannot be permanently degraded unless it degrades itself."

"The most powerful force in the world is truth."

"Every man has within him the power to rise and succeed."

"The Negro must learn to respect himself before demanding respect from others."

"Common sense is the most valuable possession a man can have."

"The Negro must recognize that his salvation lies not in imitating white men, but in being true to himself."

"The foundation of success is honesty and integrity."

"The Negro must learn to work with his hands and with his mind."

"In order to advance, the Negro must advance with the times."

"The Negro who waits for others to help him will wait forever."

"A man's worth is determined not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character."

"The Negro must learn to build his own institutions and support his own enterprises."

"The future of the Negro lies in his own hands."

"There is no education that is equal to that gained through manual labor."

"The Negro must learn to be patient but not passive."