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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

The thing to do when one feels sure that he has said or done the right thing and is condemned, is to stand still and keep quiet. If he is right, time will show it.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Done Quiet Said
Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Bottom Common Labor
Each one should remember there is a chance for him.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Chance Himself Remember
Ignorance is more costly to any State than education.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Cost Education Ignorance Price State
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Empowerment Yourself
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

Inspirational Work Writing
Whenever your life touches mine, you make me stronger of weaker… there is no escape… people drag others or lift others up.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Ethics People Stronger
No white American ever thinks that any other race is wholly civilized until he wears the white man’s clothes, eats the white man’s food, speaks the white man’s language, and professes the white man’s religion.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Civilization Man Race Religion Thinking White
The individual who can do something that the world wants done will, in the end, make his way regardless of his race.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Country Individual People Race World
Holding a grudge does not hurt the person against whom the grudge is held, it hurts the one who holds it.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Hold Hurt Oneself Person
I believe that my race will succeed in proportion as it learns to do a common thing in an uncommon manner; learns to do a thing so thoroughly that no one can improve upon what it has done; learns to make its services of indispensable value.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Believe Done Race
There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Development Exception High Intelligence Security
Success is not measured by where you are in life, but the obstacles you’ve over come
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Inspirational Motivational Obstacles
We went into slavery with chains clanking about our wrists; we came out with the American ballot in our hands.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Clanking Country Hands Want
Dignify and glorify common labor. It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Beginning Dignity Glorify Labor Life
Start where you are with what you have, knowing that what you have is plenty enough.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Country Enough Knowing People
If you truly want to measure the success of a man, you do not measure it by a position he has achieved, but by the obstacles he has overcome.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Men Overcoming Want
There is no escape – man drags man down, or man lifts man up.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Brotherhood Drag Men
Ignorance is more costly to any State than education.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Country Ignorance People States
An ounce of application is worth a ton of abstraction.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Application Clarity Communicate
An ounce of application is worth a ton of abstraction.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Abstraction Application Practical
Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Help Himself Place Responsibility Trust Yourself
The actual sight of a first-class house that a Negro has built is ten times more potent than pages of discussion about a house that he ought to build, or perhaps could build.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Architect Build Discussion Home Sight Strong
Let our opportunities overshadow our grievances.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Grief Opportunity Ourselves Shadow
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 had to overcome while trying to succeed.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Inspirational Life Success
We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Communication Pockets Vocabulary
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

Character Men Skill

Political activity alone cannot make a man free. Back of the ballot, he must have property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence, and character.

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Political activity alone cannot make a man free. Back of the ballot, he must have property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence, and character.

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Popular Authors

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