A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

“ The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. ”

— Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 2011

“ The most important attribute of leadership is to trust yourself and believe in your own thinking. ”

— Wilma Mankiller

“ It always seems impossible until it's done. ”

— Nelson Mandela

“ You may be the first, but make sure you're not the last. ”

— Kamala Harris, 2020

“ Hope will never be silent. ”

— Harvey Milk

“ I am going to keep saying that I am a feminist until it is met with a shrug. ”

— Justin Trudeau, 2016

“ Having such a diverse group of people coming into Congress is going to make a difference, because no matter if your experience is very similar to mine or completely different than mine, it's just as real and it's just as valid. ”

— Sharice Davids, 2018

“ Success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives. ”

— Michelle Obama

“ I've always held on to that America that I know, that I love, that does welcome refugees with open arms. ”

— Ilhan Omar, 2019

“ When they go low, we go high. ”

— Michelle Obama, 2016

“ If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. ”

— Shirley Chisholm

“ Each time a man stands up for an ideal, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. ”

— Robert F. Kennedy, 1966

“ Real men don't hurt women. ”

— Barack Obama, 2014

“ I never want to shy away from acknowledging who I am, being authentic as much as I can be. It's an important thing to be able to say, 'Yes, I'm out. I'm not ashamed of any part of who I am.' ”

— Sharice Davids, 2018

“ Women can help turn the world right side up. We bring a more collaborative approach to government. And if we do not participate, then the decisions will be made without us. ”

— Wilma Mankiller, 1993

“ We are still here. The will to survive is engrained in us, passed down through the generations by our ancestors. ”

— Deb Haaland, 2021

“ You gotta give them hope. ”

— Harvey Milk, 1977

“ Representation matters, not only representation mattering for Indigenous people, but also for people who are just everyday Americans. ”

— Deb Haaland, 2021

“ Democracy is the best revenge. ”

— Benazir Bhutto, 2007

“ Voting rights for me are the point of entry to democracy. ”

— Stacey Abrams, 2021

“ If me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade. ”

— Pete Buttigieg, 2019