Arthur Alfonso Schomburg Quotes

I think the history and the past we have is just an energy we've built up to do what we do now.

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.

In fact history does not belong to us; but we belong to it.

Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.

Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.

History isn’t just what happened before we came on the scene. We are a part of history..

A people without a history is like the wind over buffalo grass.

… history is that which transforms documents into monuments

We are reminded here of our past, of the continuity of our national story, and the virtues of resilience, ingenuity, and tolerance which created it…

We learn history not in order to know how to behave or how to succeed, but to know who we are.

… history does not belong to us but rather we to it

A people without a positive history is like a vehicle without an engine.

There is a palpable sense of history in the homes that I choose to occupy. I think that's one of the reasons I gravitate towards old homes: I really like that sense of history and that sense that I am one step in a very long process that trails out in both directions around me - before me and ahead of me.

I always had my roots in the past.

We've got to know our history. We have to be able to bring our children to a place that they can be proud of.

In my view, you can't go to the future if you haven't come from the past.

We've got to map all of our ancient history before it's gone because, let's face it, if we don't have a common heritage to share, something to get excited about, then what are we living for?

History is the interpretation of the significance that the past has for us.

It's very strange that most people don't care if their knowledge of their family history only goes back three generations.

You want to try to find your heritage.

History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.

All the things that are part of your heritage make you British - that makes this country what it is. It's part of your history. And here, unlike America, it's still living history.

History is a people's memory, and without a memory, man is demoted to the lower animals.

I think my attitudes about the past are very traditional. You can't ignore history; you can't escape it even if you want to. You might as well know where you come from, and you might as well know that everything has been done in some shape or form.

We are all part of a tradition, at least we depend on the past.