Benjamin E. Mays

“Every man and woman is born into the world to do something unique and something distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never be done.”

“It is born in mind that the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching the goal. The tragedy of life lies in having no goal to reach.”

“It isn't a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.”

“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.”

“Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.”

“Not failure, but low aim is sin.”

“Many well-meaning intelligent people have argued since the May 17, 1954, decision of the United States Supreme Court outlawing segregation in the public schools that communication between the races has broken down.”

“For nearly a century, the South made itself believe that Negroes and white people were really communicating. So convinced of this were the white Southerners that they almost made the nation believe that they, and only they, knew the mind of the Southern Negro.”

“It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture.”

“The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.”

“If what is communicated is false, it can hardly be called communication.”

“It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream.”