ARISE Honors Barack Obama, The First African American President Elect

The ARISE Foundation offers a warm congratulations to President Elect Obama. To commemorate this historic moment, we offer five quotations from prominent African Americans. For more life skills lessons, famous quotes and information, please visit the ARISE Life Skills website.

“The orators and statesmen of our own land, whether they belong to the past, or to the present age, will live and shine in the annals of history, in proportion as they have dedicated their genius and talents to the defence of justice and man’s God-given rights.” -Henry Highland Garnet (first African American clergyman to deliver a sermon in congress.)

“Don’t doubt me, because that’s when I get stronger. I like to see the smiles on people’s faces when I show them I can do the impossible.” – Marvin Hagler (boxing champion)

“Wealth isn’t what a man has, but what he is.” -Charles Johnson (college professor)

“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -Micheal Jordan

“My experience is that there is something in human nature which always makes an individual recognize and reward merit, no matter under what colour of skin merit is found.” -Booker T. Washington