W.E.B. Du Bois

"There is no greater tragedy than the tragedy of lives wasted."

"Hard work conquers all."

"Progress means either doing things better or doing better things."

"The problem is not in the stars, but in ourselves."

"I believe in liberty for all men: the space to stretch their arms and their souls."

"All Art is propaganda and ever must be."

"Negro civilization has contributed especially to Music and Art."

"The great human problem is to learn to live as brothers and not as slaves."

"The most ordinary Negro is a distinct human being."

"We are not born all at once, but by degrees."

"In my life work I have always tried to do what I thought was right."

"I have chosen to live my life both inside and outside the veil, and thus to my soul have I been fiercely true."

"To know so little about yourself is certainly a source of shame."

"I would not eat my bread in sorrow."

"The vision of world humanity."

"Without organization, there is no progress."

"The true worth of the race must be measured by the character of its womanhood."

"There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise."

"Beautiful and sacred have been the striving of my people."

"I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham."

"Ignorance is a cure for nothing."

"The Negro genius has gifts of its own by which if wisely used it can not only save the Negro but can add new and powerful elements to American civilization."

"We must face our past squarely."

"Nations reel and peoples curse, but the world ever moves forward."

"The great souls of a time find themselves inevitably in antagonism."

"I am determined to make my life a bright oasis in a dark desert."

"The question was not 'Do you believe in color prejudice?' but rather 'What could you do about it?'"

"The education of a people should consist of getting them to understand that they, the people themselves, possess the power."

"I have always felt that the ultimate measure of any individual is how you treat people who can do you absolutely no good."

"Any group of people can be divided, but united we are strong."