Booker T. Washington Quotes

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

Attention Life Success
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

Class House Sight
There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Class Jobs Race
Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Christian Hands Thinking
Do not do that which others can do as well.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Happen Life Other Wells
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

Determination Men Success
One man cannot hold another man down in the ditch without remaining down in the ditch with him.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Down Man One Remaining
Success waits patiently for anyone who has the determination and strength to seize it.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Determination Waiting
Character, not circumstances, makes the man.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Character Circumstances Men
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
We shall prosper as we learn to do the common things of life in an uncommon way. Let down your buckets where you are.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Buckets Common Way
…those who are guilty of such sweeping criticisms [of the rich] do not know how many people would be made poor, and how much sufering would result, if wealthy people were to part all at once with any large proportion of their wealth in a way to disorganize and cripple great business enterprises.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Criticism People Proposition Result
No one can degrade us except ourselves.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Degrade Positive Positivity
I do not believe that one should speak unless, deep down in his heart, he feels convinced that he has a message to deliver.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Convinced Heart Message Mutual Progress
There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Defense Development Highest
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
Let our opportunities overshadow our grievances.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Grievance Opportunity
You may fill your heads with knowledge or skillfully train your hands, but unless it is based upon high, upright character, upon a true heart, it will amount to nothing. You will be no better than the most ignorant.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Character Hands Heart
The wisest among my race understand that agitations of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Progress Race Struggle
It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercise of those privileges.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Exercise Important Law
I would permit no man, no matter what his colour might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Angel Hate Positive
I pity from the bottom of my heart any individual who is so unfortunate as to get into the habit of holding race prejudice, for nothing else makes one so blind and narrow.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Heart Prejudice Race
And that out of this very resistance to wrong, out of the struggle against odds, they have gained strength, self-confidence, and experience which they could not have gained in any other way.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Confidence Experience Gained Self Way
Start where you are with what you have, knowing that what you have is plenty enough.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Country Enough Knowing People
It means a great deal, I think, to start off on a foundation which one has made for oneself.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Foundation Mean Thinking
The longer I live and the more experience I have of the world, the more I am convinced that, after all, the one thing that is most worth living for-and dying for, if need be-is the opportunity of making someone else more happy.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Dying Life Opportunity
I learned the lesson that great men cultivate love, and that only little men cherish a spirit of hatred. I resolved then that I would permit no man, no matter what his color, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

Color Hate Men

Other Famous Personalities