And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false and to incur my own abhorrence. Frederick Douglass, 2. Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are the change that we seek." 5k+ Downloads The gravesites looked like a "one mass of flowers" and "the breeze wafted the sweet perfumes from them" and "tears of joy" were shed. Nathan Hale. Tamra Bolton, Parade, "As we set today aside to honor and thank our veterans, let us be mindful that we should do this every day of the year and not just one." Harriet Tubman, Abolitionist. I have never laughed so much; nor have I ever prayed so much. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at. ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. You never know which experiences of life are going to be of value . I really don't think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Memorial Day, 1914: President Woodrow Wilson. Many of us celebrate Memorial Day with a start-of-summer barbecue, beach trip, or town parade every May. And thats how I operate my life. Oprah Winfrey. America without her soldiers would be like God without his angels. Claudia Pemberton, Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. Adlai Stevenson II, If words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice. Ronald Reagan, No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. St. "Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. I have learned that 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 while trying to succeed. These messages empower the oppressed, inspire future generations, and call on every member of society to treat all humans with fairness and dignity. These Patriotic Songs Are The Ultimate Ode to The U.S.A. Inspirational Bible Verses And Quotes For Lent To Last 40 Days, New Year's Eve Quotes To Help You Ring in New Beginnings. Let's see if you can guess who shared these nuggets of wisdom! Vantage Circle. It's not going to work. With freedom comes responsibility. Impossible is potential. I had passion. I am changing the things I cannot accept. Angela Y. Davis, No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow. Alice Walker. Frederick Douglass, Abolitionist. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. I'm as good as anybody, but no better. How Often Should You Wash Kitchen Towels, Really? We also have a great list of quotes for Native American history month and quotes for Jewish Heritage Month. "We must never forget that Black History is American History. In 1992 she became the first Black woman to travel to space. Thurgood Marshall, "Hate is too great a burden to bear. Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, 13. Jack Thorne Grief is the price we pay for love. There are things that death cannot touch. W.E.B. "Never be limited by other people's limited . Memorial Day was declared a national holiday through an act of Congress in 1971, and . But get used to me. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses. Be demanding." RJ Heller, "May we never forget freedom isn't free." Dedicate yourself to a core set of values. Abraham Lincoln, late former U.S. president, "Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. It was 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical. Save . She was active in the Underground Railroad movement and is credited with conducting 13 rescue missions that freed approximately 70 enslaved people. / By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall." Hubert H. Humphrey: "We need an America with the wisdom of experience. Some of the shells brought my heart into my mouth; lying there waiting for them was intolerable. We are the change that we seek. Barack Obama, When were talking about diversity, its not a box to check. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong." - Ella Fitzgerald "History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own. "Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better." Perhaps most famous for his I Have a Dream Speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil rights leader in the mid-1900s.In 1963 he helped organize the March on Washington where he delivered the iconic speech and in 1964 he won the Nobel . We can do all in our power to comfort and bless those who lose loved ones. No soldier outlives a thousand chances. John F. Kennedy, "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Nathan Hale. He implored his followers, "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." Without memory there would be no civilization, no future." Elie Wiesel 30. If I could not have one, I would have the other. Harriet Tubman, True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. We should honor our soldiers, but we should never honor war." Dean Hughes 17. We are the change that we seek. Activities are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for the 4th grade. Memorial Day Quotes "And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. Im going to press on. Barack Obama, I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. Better Homes & Gardens - 100 years of powering your passions at home. Martin Luther King Jr. "It isn't where you come from; it's where you're going that counts." Martin Luther King Jr. "Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. I rise. Thurgood Marshall, First Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice. A. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside I'm going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do. We'd love to hear from you so we can include your quote in our collection! Benevolent, but bold. "Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. Get even more inspired by former leaders with these presidential quotes. Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. Impossible is temporary. Diversity is about embracing one anothers uniqueness. Ola Joseph, You cant separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom. Malcolm X, My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. Desmond Tutu, If youre going to hold someone down youre going to have to hold on by the other end of the chain. The impossible takes a little while longer. I made life-long friends. Franklin D. Roosevelt, "The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men." Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Unknown, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." . If there is no struggle, there is no progress. - Adlai Stevenson. We are the ones we've been waiting for. The words of Black leaders can motivate you to succeed in a world setup for Black people to fail. History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nation's greatness." He was the first Black man to earn a doctorate from Harvard and became a founder of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in 1909. Newly-freed African Americans who fought in the Civil War decorated soldiers' graves on the first cited Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. Never had. That is why whenever we hear any quotes from black leaders, we stand up and take notice because that wisdom is priceless. "Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.". It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. You can only become accomplished at something you love. "Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Frederick Douglass, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. 1. I find freedom so sexy, I cant even explain it to you. Tomorrow we celebrate Memorial Day. There are plenty of Memorial Day activities to participate in, Memorial Day movies to watch, and patriotic quotes to read, but the following list of Memorial Day quotes will help you honor the fallen soldiers (and express gratitude) in the way they deserve. Quotes from the important figures below inspire us to continue the struggle until we succeed. Power concedes nothing without a demand. Read what these changemakers had to say about what kept them going. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. James A. Garfield, "This nation will remain the land of the free only as long as it is home of the brave." It is excellence. ", Eleanor Roosevelt, late former U.S. first lady, "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. -Martin Luther King, Jr. Dreams are lovely but they are just dreams. Many of these quotes are from prominent civil rights leaders and Black trailblazers. 2 Lee Greenwood. Unknown, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them." It's a dare. Fierce and free." Madame C. J. Walker was a bridge. I don't mind the failure, but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I didn't try. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. 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