With the #BlackWomenAtWork hashtag recently trending on Twitter, we decided to highlight and celebrate a few Black women who have blazed their own trail in the workplace. Check out the following words of wisdom from ten incredible women, whose strong work ethic has inspired us all.
1. “Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.” –Michelle Obama, the first African American First Lady of the United States
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2. “Fear of failure is the fuel of achievement. If you weren’t afraid to fail, you probably wouldn’t be highly motivated to work at the level that most of us have to work at to do well.”- Ruth Simmons, the first Black president of an Ivy League University
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3.”You can do anything you want, even if you are being told negative things. Stay strong and find motivation.”- Misty Copeland, the first African American woman principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre
4. “Be true to your convictions, and do not settle. You may take some detours and encounter some roadblocks along the way, but never give up on the pursuit of excellence—however you may define that for yourself.”- Elaine Welteroth, Teen Vogue’s youngest and first African American Editor-in-Chief
Photo credit: Taylor Jewell
5. Dreams do come true, but not without the help of others, a good education, a strong work ethic, and the courage to lean in.”- Ursula Burns, the first Black woman CEO to head a Fortune 500 company
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6. “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.”- Oprah Winfrey, media powerhouse and the first African American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show
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7. “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.”- Shonda Rhimes, the first African American woman to create and executive produce a Top 10 network series
8. “The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.”- Serena Williams, the only tennis player to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era
9. “Ignore the glass ceiling and do your work. If you’re focusing on the glass ceiling, focusing on what you don’t have, focusing on the limitations, then you will be limited.”- Ava DuVernay, the first Black woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, and the first Black woman to direct a $100 million dollar film
10. “Person by person, we can end stereotypes and remove barriers to opportunity. Although this change begins with awareness, it doesn’t end there. We need action. And the way to move from awareness to action is to…just add bravery.”- Mellody Hobson, President of Ariel Capital Management, the nation’s first African American owned money management firm
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