9 Quotes from African Americans on Change

In honor of Black History Month, for the Africans forced to this country through slavery, and in honor of those here, who continue to make progress for all of America, I have pulled 9 quotes about change from African-Americans who have been recognized as contributors to American culture.

With the reverberating positive charge in the air, and with the current tone of our country, I felt the focus on "change" was appropriate to explore and celebrate this month and in this article. So here they are.

"We must begin to understand that a revolution entails not only the willingness to lay our lives on the firing line and get killed. In some ways, this is an easy commitment to make. To die for the revolution is a one-shot deal; to live for the revolution means taking on the more difficult commitment of changing our day-to-day patterns." - Francis Beal

Beal was the National Secretary of the Black Radical Congress and a political writer for the Bay View Newspaper. Her most famous work is titled, Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female.

"One does not fight to influence change and then leave the change to someone else to bring about." - Stokely Carmichael

Carmichael, once chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, coined the phrase "Black is beautiful." He later became affiliated with the Black Nationalist Movement and the Pan-Africanist Movement.

"You really can change the world if you care enough." -Marian Wright Edelman

Edelman was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi. She also founded the Children's Defense Fund, the nation's strongest advocacy group for children and families.

"Every time I sit down to the typewriter, with every line I put on paper I am out to change the world." - John O. Killens

Killens was a novelist; civil rights activist; college professor and created the Black Writers' Conference.

"I felt that it was not until one wanted the world to be different that one could look at the world with will and emotion." - Richard Wright

Wright was a writer, novelist and social activist. Two of his most important works were his autobiographical book, titled, Black Boy and his novel, Native Son.

"Everybody wants to do something to help, but nobody wants to be first." - Pearl Bailey

Bailey was a singer and actress, making her debut on Broadway in 1946 and won a Tony Award for her role in an all-Black production of Hello, Dolly!

"It is not light that is needed, but fire." - Frederick Douglas

Douglas was born a slave, and later became a leader in the Abolitionist Movement. He also became the first Black person to hold a high ranking position in the US government.

"It may get me crucified. I may even die. But I want it said even if I die in the struggle that 'He died to make men free.'" - Martin Luther King Jr.

King was a leader in the civil rights movement, led the famous and very important Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was also the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

"The change we seek has always required great struggle and sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what kind of country we want and how hard we're willing to work for it." - Barack Obama

Obama is a US senator from Illinois and a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for presidency.

The inspiration for the search of spirit igniting quotes on change stemmed from the well known speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream," and Senator Barack Obama's New Hampshire Primary Speech. Although the latter is not nearly as famous, it is still quite stirring, inspiring actors and musicians alike to become apart of turning Senator Obama's words into a music video, envisioned by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.

I'm in hopes that these words continue to spark fires in people to move...to change...to continue the forward movement of making our world a better place to live. One day, I hope to utter words so profound that they continuously echo through the ages and in the hearts of people all over the world.

Here's to change.