"The large majority of the Negroes who have put on the finishing touches of our best colleges are all but worthless in the development of their people."

Life

Create & Download Quote Image

Customize Design

Theme Color

Insight & Reflection

This reflection on life by Carter G. Woodson resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in life is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Carter G. Woodson

Carter Godwin Woodson was an American historian, author, journalist, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He was one of the first scholars to study the history of the Black African diaspora in the United States. A founder of The Journal of Negro History in 1916, Woodson has been called the "father of Black history." In February 1926, he launched the celebration of "Negro History Week," the precursor of Black History Month. Woodson was an important figure to the movement of Afrocentrism, due to his perspective of placing people of Sub-Saharan African descent at the center of the study of history and the human experience.

More quotes by Carter G. Woodson →
Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Carter G. Woodson

"In our so-called democracy we are accustomed to give the majority what they want rather than educate them to understand what is best for them."

— Carter G. Woodson
Read more →

"They still have some money, and they have needs to supply. They must begin immediately to pool their earnings and organize industries to participate in supplying social and economic demands."

— Carter G. Woodson
Read more →

"Negro banks, as a rule, have failed because the people, taught that their own pioneers in business cannot function in this sphere, withdrew their deposits."

— Carter G. Woodson
Read more →

"The strongest bank in the United States will last only so long as the people will have sufficient confidence in it to keep their money there."

— Carter G. Woodson
Read more →

More about Life

"Ever read a book that changed your life? Me neither."

— Jim Gaffigan
Read more →

"Wisdom principle 79 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 42."

— Marcus Aurelius
Read more →

"It is a rare life that remains orderly even in private."

— Michel de Montaigne
Read more →

"If one tends to be a humorous person and you have a sense of humor the rest of your life then you can certainly lighten the load, I think, by bringing that to your trials and tribulations. It's easy to have a sense of humor when everything is going well."

— Alan Thicke
Read more →
View all Life quotes →