Ursula Burns Quotes

I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.

One of the greatest gifts of Black feminism to ourselves has been to make it a little easier simply to be Black and female.

I wouldn't want them to feel lonely or outcast ever in any way. And no matter where they were in the world, I'd want them to always feel incredibly confident about who they were and proud.

To a smart girl men are no problem - they're the answer.

I bring something to the table as a woman; I bring something to the table as a woman of color.

You can be an absolute woman and also be smart and tough and not lose your femininity.

It's so important for young girls of color - young girls of any color - to see diverse women as the heroes of their own story.

To me, being a black woman and being beautiful are not mutually exclusive.

Let me be abundantly clear: I am black, and I am a woman, and I embrace both of those facts.

One thing that was very important to me was that I felt comfortable in the lab from being very, very small. I knew that that's where I belonged, and I could fix things and move things. And no matter how many classrooms I went into where I was the only girl in the physics class or whatever, I never questioned the fact that I didn't belong there.

There's room for everyone, and everyone is wanted and needed. Whoopi showed me that. When I first saw 'The Color Purple,' it was so huge. That was the first time I had seen myself, my mother, my aunts, women that I had known my whole life on-screen. It gives us hope, and it gives us confidence.

There is power in seeing a face that looks like yours do something, be someone. There is power in moving from the sidelines to the center.

I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay.

I am here and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to.

To hang out in a gay bar or put on a sequined halter top makes me feel like a total person.

We need to encourage young women to find what they love to do. That is a very valuable pursuit - more so than the pursuit of a boyfriend. When you have that core, you bring that core to every aspect of your life.

If you don't believe you don't belong.

It was a very cool thing to be a smart girl, as opposed to some other, different kind. And I think that made a great deal of difference to me growing up and in my life afterward.

I wish I could just go tell all the young women I work with, all these fabulous women, 'Believe in yourself and negotiate for yourself. Own your own success.' I wish I could tell that to my daughter. But it's not that simple.

Everyday I find myself reminding women around me to know their value. I also have to remind myself.

I don't want anyone to ever say that I don't belong where I am.

I think the Miss Universe title not only gives me the opportunity to become a role model for Latina girls around the world, but to show that beauty isn't just about the outside.

Root for the girls who wear dresses and are intellectually very strong.

I'm determined to raise a strong girl.

I hope that I inspire women to believe in themselves, no matter where they come from; no matter what education they have; what particular background they originate from.