Black men share a collective history of courage, power and self worth, which is united by—greatness, brotherhood and a universal struggle. And because the wisdom of a black man is endless, this collection of inspirational success quotes by black men is however just a fraction of it. Our collection features quotes from insightful, powerful, and successful black men.
Our goal is to inspire you during your day whether you are powering through a workday, working on a project, or just enjoying a much-needed brainstorming session.
Black men are a symbol of courage, bravery as well as wisdom. If you sit and talk with your African/Black grandpa or father, you are sure to drink from his well of courage, bravery, wisdom and knowledge. Over the centuries, Black men are known for their courage and their efficacy in delivering motivation, inspiration and success nuggets, not excluding nuggets on courage and fearlessness. And these are the basis of our collection of inspirational success quotes by black men
50+ Inspirational Success Quotes by Black Men
If you need a pep talk, a motto for your vision board or some motivation to keep you going, here are a 50+ inspirational Success quotes by Black Men for your motivation.
Malcom X
We begin our collection of inspirational success quotes by black men with one of the most influential African Americans in history. Malcolm X was a human rights activist, a charismatic orator and an American Muslim minister.
“I was going through the hardest thing, also the greatest thing, for any human being to do; to accept that which is already within you, and around you.”
“Children have a lesson adults should learn, to not be ashamed of failing, but to get up and try again.”
“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.”
“In fact, once he is motivated no one can change more completely than the man who has been at the bottom. I call myself the best example of that.”
“This was my first lesson about gambling: if you see somebody winning all the time, he isn’t gambling, he’s cheating. Later on in life, if I were continuously losing in any gambling situation, I would watch very closely.”
“If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there’s no progress. If you pull it all the way out that’s not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blow made.”
“In all our deeds, the proper value and respect for time determines success or failure.”
“Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.”
“I believe in the brotherhood of all men, but I don’t believe in wasting brotherhood on anyone who doesn’t want to practice it with me. Brotherhood is a two-way street.”
“I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands, even if he’s wrong, than the one who comes up like an angel and is nothing but a devil.”
Barrack Obama
We cannot collect inspirational success quotes by black men without including quotes by one of the most successful black men in the world, the first black president of the United States of America.
“Now, as a nation, we don’t promise equal outcomes, but we were founded on the idea everybody should have an equal opportunity to succeed. No matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, you can make it. That’s an essential promise of America. Where you start should not determine where you end up.”
“We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don’t want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.”
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.”
“We see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better through concerted and collective effort.”
“If you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like or who you love.”
“Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it’s not. It takes patience, it takes commitment and it comes with plenty of failure along the way.”
“Progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always smooth path.”
“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington is one of Hollywood’s most beloved and respected names. The phenomenally talented actor’s decades-long career has seen him launch from one heart-stopping role to the next, often in critically acclaimed portrayals of historical figures ranging from Steve Biko to Malcolm X to Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and many more. Our list of inspirational success quotes by black men will not be complete without some nuggets from Denzel.
“Success? I don’t know what that word means. I’m happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody’s eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That’s a good day for me.”
“So you never know who you touch. You never know how or when you’ll have an impact, or how important your example can be to someone else.”
“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished. It’s about what you’ve done with those accomplishments. It’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”
“What it taught me was forgiveness. It taught me that when people present themselves in a certain way, there’s probably some back story or issue or reason for the way that they are. It’s not you. It’s them. And a lot of times, its about something that’s completely out of their control.”
“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.”
“The chances you take, the people you meet, the people you love, the faith that you have. That’s what’s going to define you.”
“My faith helps me understand that circumstances don’t dictate my happiness, my inner peace.”
“Faith will get you to a point. Luck will get you to a point. But to achieve the kind of success you dream about, you need to WORK. There are no shortcuts, you can’t cheat life, just get to work and don’t stop until you reach your highest potential.”
“The only thing stopping you from achieving your dreams are the stories you keep telling yourself that you can’t. Don’t wait- act now. Regret nothing.”
“When you do good, you get good! Fulfilment comes from serving others, not just hustling to serve yourself. On the path to success, there is always going to be an opportunity to help someone else be successful too. Take that opportunity, and be the kind of person who makes a difference in the lives of others.”
Chadwick Boseman
We cannot talk about inspirational success quotes by black men without including Chadwick Boseman, who was a famous US actor, best known for his lead role in the Black Panther. He was diagnosed with colon cancer 4 years ago and he died on August 28, 2020 as announced on social media by his family.
News of his passing shocked the whole world, most especially how he continued with ‘business as usual’ while undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments for his cancer. This speaks volume of his mental strength and bravery.
“I would go through these cycles of being really, really focused on work, and not being around anyone, to being around everyone. And that could be distracting. It was nothing or everything”.
“Fearlessness means taking the first step, even if you don’t know where it will take you. It means being driven by a higher purpose, rather than an applause. It means knowing that you reveal your character when you stand apart, more than when you stand with the crowd”.
“When you are deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or career. Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you”.
“Your very existence is wrapped up in things you need to fulfil. Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose”.
“You’re not free unless you can show the good and the bad, all sides of them. So to me, when I play a character, it’s important that I can show every aspect of them”.
“The only difference between a hero and a villain is that the villain chooses to use that power in a way that is selfish and hurts other people”.
“Savor the taste of your triumphs today, don’t just swallow them all whole without digesting what is actually happening here. Look down over what you conquered and appreciate what God has brought you through.”
“You might have one thing in your head, but the things you’re doing don’t really lead down the right road, necessarily. When you’re young, you don’t want to hear that. You think you can do everything, be all things.”
“I might have had too many friends in my twenties. I probably said yes too much, and then I had to learn how to say no. How to get away in order to work on stuff.”
“I started out as a writer and a director. I started acting because I wanted to know how to relate to the actors. When people ask me what I do, I don’t really say that I’m an actor, because actors often wait for someone to give them roles.”
Jay Z
We can’t talk about success for black men without mentioning Jay Z. Original name Shawn Corey Carter, is an American rapper and entrepreneur, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop in the 1990s and early 21st century. He is also one of the first black men to reach billionaire status in contemporary times, and it is only imperative that some of his nuggets make it to our list of inspirational success quotes by black men.
“I’m hungry for knowledge. The whole thing is to learn every day, to get brighter and brighter. That’s what this world is about.”
“Don’t tell me what was said about me… Tell me why they were so comfortable to say it to you.”
“People respect success. They respect big. They don’t even have to like your music. If you’re big enough, people are drawn to you.”
“I will not lose, for even in defeat, there’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me.”
“You learn more in failure than you ever do in success.”
“Those who are successful overcome their fears and take action. Those who aren’t submit to their fears and live with regrets.”
“When you’re growing up, your dad is your superhero. Once you’ve let yourself fall that in love with someone, once you put him on such a high pedestal and he lets you down, you never want to experience that pain again.”
“By the time I got to record my first album, I was 26, I didn’t need pen or paper – my memory had been trained just to listen to a song, think of the words, and lay them to tape.”
“You can want success all you want, but to get it, you can’t falter. You can’t slip, you can’t sleep. One eye open, for real, and forever.”
“I believe everyone in the world is born with genius-level talent. Apply yourself to whatever you’re genius at, and you can do anything in the world.”
