Booker Taliaferro Washington was born on April 5, 1856, in Hale's Ford, Westlake Corner, Virginia, United States. He was a dominant African American leader, educator, and author. Born into slavery in Virginia, he rose to national prominence as the founding principal of Tuskegee Institute in 1881 and a key advisor to U.S. Presidents. He advocated for economic self-reliance and vocational training for Black Americans, famously delivering the 1895 "Atlanta Compromise" speech and writing the bestselling autobiography Up from Slavery. May these famous Booker T. Washington quotes offer you insights to help fuel the resilience within you.
1. “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.” – Booker T. Washington
2. “The more difficult the struggle, the more robust the character.” – Booker T. Washington
3. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
4. “The happiest people are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington
5. “No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” – Booker T. Washington
6. “Of all forms of slavery there is none that is so harmful and degrading as that form of slavery which tempts one human being to hate another by reason of his race or color.” – Booker T. Washington
7. “There are two ways of exerting one's strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” – Booker T. Washington
8. “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” – Booker T. Washington
9. “One constructive effort in the way of progress does more to blot out discrimination than all the whinings in the world.” – Booker T. Washington
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10. “The world cares very little what you or I know, but it does care a great deal about what you or I do.” – Booker T. Washington
11. “I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
12. “I have long ceased to cherish any spirit of bitterness against the Southern white people on account of the enslavement of my race.” – Booker T. Washington
13. “The older I grow, the more I am convinced that there is no education which one can get from books and costly apparatus that is equal to that which can be gotten from contact with great men and women.” – Booker T. Washington
14. “Success always leaves footprints.” – Booker T. Washington
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15. “Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” – Booker T. Washington
16. “The individual who can do something that the world wants will, in the end, make his way regardless of race.” – Booker T. Washington
17. “You can't hold a man down without staying down with him.” – Booker T. Washington
18. “Character is power.” – Booker T. Washington
19. “Opportunities never come a second time, nor do they wait for our leisure.” – Booker T. Washington
.jpg "Famous quotes and sayings by Booker T. Washington")
20. “Character, not circumstance, makes the person.” – Booker T. Washington
21. “Do not be satisfied with second-hand or third-hand things in life. Do not be satisfied until you have put yourselves into that atmosphere where you can seize and hold on to the very highest and most beautiful things that can be got out of life.” – Booker T. Washington
22. “At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence.” – Booker T. Washington
23. “Start where you are with what you have, knowing that what you have is plenty enough.” – Booker T. Washington
24. “Every persecuted individual and race should get much consolation out of the great human law, which is universal and eternal, that merit, no matter under what skin found, is, in the long run, recognized and rewarded.” – Booker T. Washington
.jpg "Famous quotes and sayings by Booker T. Washington")
25. “There is no power on earth that can neutralize the influence of a high, simple and useful life.” – Booker T. Washington
26. “I would permit no man, no matter what his color might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” – Booker T. Washington
27. “Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.” – Booker T. Washington
28. “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company.” – Booker T. Washington
29. “If you can't read, it's going to be hard to realize dreams.” – Booker T. Washington
30. “We should not permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.” – Booker T. Washington
More Booker T. Washington Sayings
31. “The man who has learned to do something better than anyone else—has learned to do a common thing in an uncommon manner—is the man who has a power and influence that no adverse circumstances can take from him.” – Booker T. Washington
32. “One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.” – Booker T. Washington
33. “No man, who continues to add something to the material, intellectual and moral well-being of the place in which he lives, is left long without proper reward.” – Booker T. Washington
34. “We must reinforce argument with results.” – Booker T. Washington
35. “It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.” – Booker T. Washington
36. “In order to be successful in any undertaking, I think the main thing is for one to grow to the point where he completely forgets himself; that is, to lose himself in a great cause.” – Booker T. Washington
37. “The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera-house.” – Booker T. Washington
38. “Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.” – Booker T. Washington
39. “No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or efforts.” – Booker T. Washington
40. “Success waits patiently for anyone who has the determination and strength to seize it.” – Booker T. Washington
41. “An inch of progress is worth more than a yard of complaint.” – Booker T. Washington
42. “Political activity alone cannot make a man free. Back of the ballot, he must have property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence, and character.” – Booker T. Washington
43. “Holding a grudge does not hurt the person against whom the grudge is held, it hurts the one who holds it.” – Booker T. Washington
44. “Lay hold of something that will help you, and then use it to help somebody else.” – Booker T. Washington
45. “I shall never permit myself to stoop so low as to hate any man.” – Booker T. Washington
Share these Booker T. Washington Quotes on Success in Life with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.
2. “The more difficult the struggle, the more robust the character.” – Booker T. Washington
3. “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
4. “The happiest people are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington
5. “No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” – Booker T. Washington
6. “Of all forms of slavery there is none that is so harmful and degrading as that form of slavery which tempts one human being to hate another by reason of his race or color.” – Booker T. Washington
7. “There are two ways of exerting one's strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” – Booker T. Washington
8. “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” – Booker T. Washington
9. “One constructive effort in the way of progress does more to blot out discrimination than all the whinings in the world.” – Booker T. Washington
11. “I have begun everything with the idea that I could succeed, and I never had much patience with the multitudes of people who are always ready to explain why one cannot succeed.” – Booker T. Washington
12. “I have long ceased to cherish any spirit of bitterness against the Southern white people on account of the enslavement of my race.” – Booker T. Washington
13. “The older I grow, the more I am convinced that there is no education which one can get from books and costly apparatus that is equal to that which can be gotten from contact with great men and women.” – Booker T. Washington
14. “Success always leaves footprints.” – Booker T. Washington
16. “The individual who can do something that the world wants will, in the end, make his way regardless of race.” – Booker T. Washington
17. “You can't hold a man down without staying down with him.” – Booker T. Washington
18. “Character is power.” – Booker T. Washington
19. “Opportunities never come a second time, nor do they wait for our leisure.” – Booker T. Washington
21. “Do not be satisfied with second-hand or third-hand things in life. Do not be satisfied until you have put yourselves into that atmosphere where you can seize and hold on to the very highest and most beautiful things that can be got out of life.” – Booker T. Washington
22. “At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence.” – Booker T. Washington
23. “Start where you are with what you have, knowing that what you have is plenty enough.” – Booker T. Washington
24. “Every persecuted individual and race should get much consolation out of the great human law, which is universal and eternal, that merit, no matter under what skin found, is, in the long run, recognized and rewarded.” – Booker T. Washington
26. “I would permit no man, no matter what his color might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” – Booker T. Washington
27. “Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the every day things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.” – Booker T. Washington
28. “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company.” – Booker T. Washington
29. “If you can't read, it's going to be hard to realize dreams.” – Booker T. Washington
30. “We should not permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.” – Booker T. Washington
More Booker T. Washington Sayings
31. “The man who has learned to do something better than anyone else—has learned to do a common thing in an uncommon manner—is the man who has a power and influence that no adverse circumstances can take from him.” – Booker T. Washington
32. “One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.” – Booker T. Washington
33. “No man, who continues to add something to the material, intellectual and moral well-being of the place in which he lives, is left long without proper reward.” – Booker T. Washington
34. “We must reinforce argument with results.” – Booker T. Washington
35. “It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.” – Booker T. Washington
36. “In order to be successful in any undertaking, I think the main thing is for one to grow to the point where he completely forgets himself; that is, to lose himself in a great cause.” – Booker T. Washington
37. “The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera-house.” – Booker T. Washington
38. “Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.” – Booker T. Washington
39. “No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or efforts.” – Booker T. Washington
40. “Success waits patiently for anyone who has the determination and strength to seize it.” – Booker T. Washington
41. “An inch of progress is worth more than a yard of complaint.” – Booker T. Washington
42. “Political activity alone cannot make a man free. Back of the ballot, he must have property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence, and character.” – Booker T. Washington
43. “Holding a grudge does not hurt the person against whom the grudge is held, it hurts the one who holds it.” – Booker T. Washington
44. “Lay hold of something that will help you, and then use it to help somebody else.” – Booker T. Washington
45. “I shall never permit myself to stoop so low as to hate any man.” – Booker T. Washington
Share these Booker T. Washington Quotes on Success in Life with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.