The Words of African-American Heroes

By Clara Villarosa

Celebrating notable African Americans, this inspirational and thoughtprovoking collection of quotations covers a wide range of African-American heroes, from Sojourner Truth to Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall to Jackie Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald to Harriet Tubman, Toni Morrison to Jesse Owens, George Washington Carver to Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks to Barack Obama, from profound historical figures to more current, popular ones, such as Oprah Winfrey, Nikki Giovanni, Spike Lee, and Snoop Dogg.

Organized thematically, the selections explore key topics such as overcoming obstacles, teaching life lessons, and nurturing creativity. The book features more than 350 quotations memorializing the wisdom and strength of 200 notable African-American heroes. The sources for the quotations and an instructive biographical section are included as well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781557049827

Book preview

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Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

ALSO IN THE NEWMARKET WORDS OF SERIES

Introduction

Chapter 1. - SPARKING THE IMAGINATION: CREATIVITY AND ART

ROMARE BEARDEN

ELIZABETH CATLETT

JAMES WELDON JOHNSON

ANGELA DAVIS

HENRY LOUIS GATES

PAULE MARSHALL

MALCOLM GLADWELL

TERRY MCMILLAN

OCTAVIA BUTLER

ISHMAEL REED

NIKKI GIOVANNI

RITA DOVE

ALICE WALKER

NTOZAKE SHANGE

SONIA SANCHEZ

PEARL CLEAGE

ELLA FITZGERALD

DEBBIE ALLEN

ODETTA

TINA TURNER

GREGORY HINES

MICHAEL JACKSON

JANET JACKSON

VIRGINIA JOHNSON

EDDIE MURPHY

NAOMI SIMS

JOSEPHINE BAKER

GEORGE C. WOLFE

PEARL BAILEY

ARETHA FRANKLIN

OSSIE DAVIS

MAX ROACH

QUINCY JONES

JOHN COLTRANE

CHARLIE PARKER

MILES DAVIS

DUKE ELLINGTON

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

Chapter 2. - THE TIES THAT BIND: BRANCHES AND LEAVES OF THE FAMILY TREE

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT

NIKKI GIOVANNI

PAULA GIDDINGS

DOROTHY HEIGHT

SISTER SOULJAH

SOJOURNER TRUTH

JOHNNETTA B. COLE

EARTHA KITT

JOYCELYN ELDERS

FAYE WATTLETON

HALLE BERRY

MARY FRANCES BERRY

SADIE AND BESSIE DELANY

NTOZAKE SHANGE

IDA B. WELLS-BARNETT

JESSIE REDMON FAUSET

ICE-T

BRYANT GUMBEL

SPIKE LEE

JAMES BROWN

SOLOMON NORTHRUP

H. RAP BROWN

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

MALCOLM GLADWELL

BEBE MOORE CAMPBELL

AMIRI BARAKA

NINA SIMONE

SNOOP DOGG

RUBY DEE

OSSIE DAVIS

SINBAD

RON DELLUMS

TONI MORRISON

BILL COSBY

QUINCY JONES

KENNETH B. CLARK

DAVID DINKINS

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

LORRAINE HANSBERRY

DENZEL WASHINGTON

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Chapter 3. - MOVERS AND SHAKERS: LEADERS AND HEROES

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

MAYA ANGELOU

MARIAN ANDERSON

DENZEL WASHINGTON

MICHELLE OBAMA

GAYRAUD WILMORE

MARCUS GARVEY

MARVA COLLINS

JESSE JACKSON

MATTHEW HENSON

JOHN BROWN RUSSWURM

ANITA DEFRANTZ

CORETTA SCOTT KING

DOROTHY HEIGHT

BILL COSBY

QUEEN LATIFAH

RON KARENGA

ADAM CLAYTON POWELL JR.

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

ADAM CLAYTON POWELL JR.

JAMES BALDWIN

ANDREW YOUNG

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

W. E. B. DUBOIS

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT

ANGELA DAVIS

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

ANGELA DAVIS

LANI GUINIER

CORNEL WEST

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

BARACK OBAMA

Chapter 4. - AND STILL I RISE: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

FRANCES W. HARPER

JAMES W. C. PENNINGTON

DAVID WALKER

HARRIET TUBMAN

PHILLIS WHEATLEY

RICHARD ALLEN

HENRY BIBB

JAMES CONE

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

PHILLIS WHEATLEY

AUDRE LORDE

MARY CHURCH TERRELL

NIKKI GIOVANNI

RITA DOVE

STOKELY CARMICHAEL

ELDRIDGE CLEAVER

AUGUST WILSON

BENJAMIN BANNEKER

RACHEL ROBINSON

MELBA PATTILLO BEALS

ABBEY LINCOLN

MARIAN ANDERSON

MADAM C. J. WALKER

ARTHUR ALFONSO SCHOMBURG

WALTER WHITE

BENJAMIN HOOKS

THURGOOD MARSHALL

ROSA PARKS

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

MEDGAR EVERS

FANNIE LOU HAMER

DERRICK BELL

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

RAY CHARLES

JAMES EARL JONES

JACKIE ROBINSON

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS

LOUIS FARRAKHAN

DOROTHY HEIGHT

QUINCY JONES

QUEEN LATIFAH

EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON

TERRY MCMILLAN

ROSA PARKS

COLIN POWELL

CONDOLEEZZA RICE

BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON

WILMA RUDOLPH

WALLY AMOS

ANITA HILL

CLARENCE THOMAS

MAYA ANGELOU

RALPH J. BUNCHE

HOWARD THURMAN

JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

HENRY LOUIS GATES

WALTER WHITE

SAMUEL D. PROCTOR

ELIJAH MUHAMMAD

ADRIAN PIPER

JILL NELSON

SHARON EGRETTA SUTTON

Chapter 5. - DARE TO DREAM: FAITH, HOPE, AND INSPIRATION

THELMA GOLDEN

MARCUS GARVEY

NIKKI GIOVANNI

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE

LORRAINE HANSBERRY

CORNEL WEST

JUDITH JAMISON

OPRAH WINFREY

EARTHA KITT

THELMA GOLDEN

SUSAN TAYLOR

KIMORA LEE SIMMONS

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

ARTHUR ASHE

JEAN TOOMER

JESSE OWENS

RITA DOVE

RON DELLUMS

LANGSTON HUGHES

CORNEL WEST

CLAUDE BROWN

ROY WILKINS

FANNIE LOU HAMER

WILLIAM WELLS BROWN

CONDOLEEZZA RICE

GERALDINE MOORE

JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

EARL GRAVES

MARGARET WALKER

JOHNNETTA B. COLE

WALTER FAUNTROY

BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON

MAE C. JEMISON

RUTH B. LOVE

EDDIE MURPHY

SISTER SOULJAH

CORNEL WEST

SUSAN TAYLOR

BENJAMIN E. MAYS

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

DENZEL WASHINGTON

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

YVONNE BRATHWAITE BURKE

BEN CARSON

CAROLE GIST

MALCOLM GLADWELL

EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON

MARIAN ANDERSON

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

JESSE JACKSON

SISTER SOULJAH

TONI MORRISON

ROSA PARKS

JOHNNETTA B. COLE

GUION S. BLUFORD

Chapter 6. - GUIDING OUR YOUTH: TEACHING LIFE LESSONS

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

CONDOLEEZZA RICE

JOHNNETTA B. COLE

CAMILLE COSBY

TONY BROWN

SINBAD

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

ANNA JULIA COOPER

LENA HORNE

JOHNNETTA B. COLE

MARVA COLLINS

BARBARA JORDAN

BEVERLY JOHNSON

FREDERICK DOUGLASS

CHARLOTTE L. FORTEN

THURGOOD MARSHALL

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

MALCOLM X

RONALD MCNAIR

CARTER G. WOODSON

JAMES BROWN

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

DAVID WALKER

W. E. B. DUBOIS

JUDITH JAMISON

REGINALD LEWIS

VANESSA WILLIAMS

GEORGE FOREMAN

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE

PAUL ROBESON

ANN PLATO

MILES DAVIS

CARTER G. WOODSON

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

W. E. B. DUBOIS

RICHARD WRIGHT

MELBA PATTILLO BEALS

KELLY MILLER

J. SAUNDERS REDDING

Chapter 7. - HONORING OUR HERITAGE: WORDS OF WISDOM

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

ROGER WILKINS

MICHELLE OBAMA

MUHAMMAD ALI

JOHN H. JOHNSON

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH

ALICE WALKER

BARBARA JORDAN

NIKKI GIOVANNI

ALEX HALEY

ROBERTA FLACK

JOHNNETTA B. COLE

SAMMY DAVIS JR.

RALPH ELLISON

ALICE WALKER

DICK GREGORY

ELDRIDGE CLEAVER

QUEEN LATIFAH

BENJAMIN E. MAYS

SISTER SOULJAH

JACKIE ROBINSON

DENZEL WASHINGTON

ARTHUR ALFONSO SCHOMBURG

MAYA ANGELOU

JAMES BALDWIN

ALTHEA GIBSON

RON DELLUMS

ALTHEA GIBSON

MALCOLM GLADWELL

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

LEONTYNE PRICE

JAMES BALDWIN

ANDREW YOUNG

DENZEL WASHINGTON

BEN VEREEN

OCTAVIA BUTLER

JACKIE MOMS MABLEY

ADRIAN PIPER

SADIE AND BESSIE DELANY

MALCOLM GLADWELL

BERRY GORDY JR.

GREGORY HINES

LENA HORNE

BIOGRAPHICAL BRIEFS

INDEX

Acknowledgements

ABOUT THE EDITOR

THE ACCLAIMED NEWMARKET WORDS OF SERIES

Copyright Page

ALSO IN THE NEWMARKET WORDS OF SERIES

The Words of Gandhi

Selected and Introduced by

Sir Richard Attenborough

The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Selected and Introduced by

Coretta Scott King

The Words of Albert Schweitzer

Selected and Introduced by

Norman Cousins

The Words of Desmond Tutu

Selected and Introduced by

Naomi Tutu

The Words of Abraham Lincoln

Selected and Introduced by

Larry Shapiro

The Words of Peace: Selections from the Speeches

of the Winners of the Nobel Peace Prize

Selected and Edited by

Irwin Abrams

The Words of Extraordinary Women

Selected and Introduced by

Carolyn Warner

INTRODUCTION

BY CLARA VILLAROSA

When I was asked by Newmarket Press to select quotations for a book entitled The Words of African-American Heroes, I must admit I was both surprised and flattered. However, I was hesitant. I was a retired bookseller. Within the last year I had written and published a book called Down to Business: The First 10 Steps of Entrepreneurship for Women, with my daughter Alicia. I was enjoying my retirement after sixteen years in the book business. I had not considered embarking on another book project. But after giving it some thought, I decided to take on the project. I had to collect and edit the words of other people. Now, how difficult could that be?

Having accepted the challenge, I learned a great deal in the process of doing my research and further improved my editing skills. The first step was coming up with criteria for identifying and selecting the African-American heroes and sheroes. The dictionary defines a hero as a person distinguished by exceptional courage, ability, and fortitude; one who is idolized, admired, and, in the opinion of others, highly regarded; one who is a role model and possesses superior qualities. While not every one of my selections may embody each of these qualities, all are certainly considered heroes by the people who know them. As the founder of the Hue-Man Book Store, which specializes in books by and about African Americans, I had hosted many author events, and therefore I am familiar with or have personally met a large number of distinguished African Americans.

In developing a list of heroes, I wanted to make sure that women were well represented and also to include heroes from a variety of occupations and fields of interest. As I proceeded with this collection of quotations, I realized how much additional information and history I was learning about my subjects. I became more informed about their work, talent, and circumstances. The words were actually inspiring me to work on the project. I found myself becoming more informed and inspired, and I hope this is the very purpose of this book for its readers.

I discovered a range of the words representing a broad spectrum of heroes from many different situations and circumstances whose accomplishments are truly remarkable. I came to understand that the selections had to resonate with readers, withstand the test of time, and hopefully stick and be remembered. I came up with some surprising quotes from expected and unexpected heroes. Some examples include Carole Gist, the first African American to capture the title of Miss USA, who was pleased about laying the groundwork for others; Romare Bearden, who explained the process of creation in the context of being influenced by other artists; Matthew Henson, who was grateful for representing his race standing on the North Pole; Harriet Tubman, who expressed regret for not being able to take more slaves to freedom because of their attitudes; and Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, the first two African Americans to serve as Secretary of State, who each gave very much the same advice on the handling of life’s crises.

The themes for the chapters were based on the predominant preoccupations of the quotes from my initial list of heroes. Their words fell into certain categories, and as I came across new memorable quotes, the process became easier to identify which theme they exemplified. I also wanted the chapters to have titles that represented contemporary language that young people could relate to, while clearly describing the themes of the book.

I was inspired by some previous collections, including Quotations in Black and Contemporary Quotations in Black, both edited by Anita King; Words to Make My Dream Children Live: A Book of African American Quotations, edited by Deirdre Mullane; and My Soul Looks Back, ’Less I Forget: A Collection of Quotations by People of Color,