I escaped from slavery and became a leading abolitionist and speaker.
No people to whom liberty is given can hold it as firmly and wear it as grandly as those who wrench their liberty from the iron hand of the tyrant.
In the struggle for justice, the only reward is the opportunity to be in the struggle. You can’t expect that you’re going to have it tomorrow. You just have to keep working on it.
Every one of us should be ashamed to be free while his brother is a slave.
Men are whipped oftenest who are whipped easiest.
In life you don’t get everything you pay for, but you must pay for everything you get.
We succeed, not alone by the laborious exertions of our faculties, be they small or great, but by the regular, thoughtful and systematic exercise of them.
Poverty, ignorance and degradation are the combined evils, these constitute the social disease of the free colored people of the US.
Beat and cuff your slave, keep him hungry and spiritless, and he will follow the chain of his master like a dog. Feed and clothe him well, work him moderately, surround him with physical comfort and dreams of freedom intrude.
The law on the side of freedom is of great advantage only when there is power to make that law respected.
Liberty for all; chains for none.
The ballot is the only safety.
Fortune may crowd a man’s life with fortunate circumstances and happy opportunities, but they will, as we all know, avail him nothing unless he makes a wise and vigorous use of them.
I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.
Civil war was not a mere strife for territory and dominion, but a contest of civilization against barbarism.
I love the religion of Christianity – which cometh from above – which is a pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of good fruits, and without hypocrisy.
Yet people in general will say they like colored men as well as any other, but in their proper place.
It’s a poor rule that won’t work both ways.
What I ask for the Negro is not benevolence, not pity, not sympathy, but simply justice.
American labor rights activist, on activities of the National Farm Workers Association Human law may know no distinction among men in respect of rights, but human practice may.