The Heart and Soul of Black Women Quotes

“Black women, we deserve deep and abiding love. We deserve love without having to struggle, without having to prove ourselves worthy, without having to be the "ride or die" girl. Love, loyalty and respect just because we have a beautiful soul.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Embrace the Sun
To the sun, you are everything.
To the clouds, you will never be enough.
Stop chasing the clouds in your life.
You don’t have to chase the sun, it will find you.
Just have faith and walk towards the light.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Single Mothers
Your shoulders are heavy,
but you stand tall and raise your head high,
knowing that you are raising kings and queens, future leaders of the world.
You are pounding the pavement, kicking butt, making it look easy but we know better;
we know the struggle,
we understand the pain.
The road feels lonely
but you are not alone.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“I am a black woman. Don't look beyond me. Don't see through me. Look me in the eye. Hold my gaze. Listen to my heart. See my soul. See me for who I am, not what you would like me to be. Accept or reject but don't hide from my truth.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Self-acceptance is a journey from will they like me to will I like them to I am who I am.
No judgment. No affirmation needed. I am enough.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Life with a Narcissist
To love without fear is tomorrow’s prayer
but tonight brings emotional eggshells, and machiavellian use of power.
Existing under a microscope with each move measured.
One delicate step forward is the crown.
Two bold steps is the dungeon.
Those are tonight’s rules.
Tomorrow the rules change
and the game with my heart begins again.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Every single day there are people coming back from the depths of addiction and abuse and unimaginable suffering and rising higher than the world expects, breaking chains, fighting for others, pulling their friends up, sometimes fearless often being courageous in the midst of fear, don’t give up on anyone, don’t give up on you. You may be down but you are not out.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“When you look in the mirror, see your majesty, see all the beauty that is inside of you. The world may not always see you so allow the light of self-love to shine brightly.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Soulmates are friends whose spirits travel together, hearts break and mend together, and souls rise together in love acceptance and harmony.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Sometimes, we accidentally stumble into drama and refuse to look away. Refuse to be pulled aways to safety. We dive in to save those who did not ask to be saved and do not appreciate our intervention. Self-sacrificing moths to the flame of fire that was not intended to consume us. Walk away.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Bravery is a single act of courage and it doesn’t tell the full story. Courage powers us from deep inside.
It wills us to shake off the disappointment, push on through, blaze a new trail.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“We will not be passive in the face of injustice and allow every generation to fight the same battles. We will drive our communities to the polls and vote like
the lives of our children depend on it because it does.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“We spring from one great tree of life so when our actions are rooted in peace and love, we all thrive. The moment that we begin to feel superior to another, our roots weaken and we start to lose our humanity. Let us not be afraid to face fear with love.
Always remember that love trumps every form of hate.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Peace is a gift but it is not free. Recognize its value.
It was bought and sold. Packaged with pain and sacrifice. Honor the sacrifice.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Black women - the world knows that we are strong because our strength is legendary. We are Harriet Tubman, Michelle Obama, and Rosa Parks. We are Oprah Winfrey, Nanny, and Mae Jameson. We are Shirley Chisholm, Portia Simpson and Maya Angelou. We have birthed a nation, rescued slaves, built empires, traveled to space and written our place in history. Survival is not enough; we were built to rise.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Why a rose has thorns - thorns protect the rose season after season from intrusion from those who only appreciate its outer beauty and discard it when the leaves begin to fall and the inner beauty is exposed.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience

“Mothers of black boys survive by pushing fear down so it doesn't overflow, overwhelm our senses, paralyze us, and derail our ability to love, nurture and protect our black boys.”
― Janet Autherine, The Heart and Soul of Black Women: Poems of Love, Struggle and Resilience