All I have to do is find someone who has something to say that will enrich my life and they can't get rid of me.

The moment anyone tries to demean or degrade you in any way, you have to know how great you are. Nobody would bother to beat you down if you were not a threat.

Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch - what make you go beyond the norm.

I am not a quitter. I will fight until I drop. It is just a matter of having some faith in the fact that as long as you are able to draw breath in the universe, you have a chance.

If each person in this world will simply take a small piece of this huge thing, this amazing quilt, and work it regardless of the color of the yarn, we will have harmony on this planet.

I saw that I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress. So I made a choice to use my career as a platform to address the issues of the race I was born into.

Whatever good I have accomplished as an actress I believe came in direct proportion to my efforts to portray black women who have made positive contributions to my heritage.

You never know what motivates you.

Children should have a balanced start in life: a mother and a father. I think that's the only reason to get married.

We have to support our own films. If we don't, how can we expect others to support them?

I will lead my people out of bondage, Lord.

Let it rain on some days, Let yourself shiver on some cold nights, So when it's Spring you'll know why it was all worth going through.

Skepticism can keep us from blessing, can keep us trapped in two minds.

Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved.

If you want irresponsible politicians to spend less, you must give them less to spend.

I know things are unbearable but in spite of that we have to bear them.

Some people never get their feet on the ground, They're either sitting in a chair or theyre laying down.

It is the end that crowns us, not the fight.

Peter is an old friend. I'm heartbroken, but he's also a tough guy. I'm counting on him getting through this very difficult passage.

At the end of the day, all people want to do is hear a great singer sing a great song. They don't care about what vocal changes it went through. You can't screw up a great song and a great singer.

I have been interested in fashion since I was a kid. Then I lived in London, where it was more about costume and a personal statement of who you are than about fashion.