Few of us have the necessary unselfishness to hear with gladness the talents of others extolled or to listen with patience to the successes of those whom we despise—Vivian

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.

You ultimately judge the civility of a society not by how it treats the rich, the powerful, the protected and the highly esteemed, but by how it treats the poor, the disfavored and the disadvantaged.

We have a system of justice in [the US] that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.

You don’t change the world with the ideas in your mind, but with the conviction in your heart.

Somebody has to stand when other people are sitting. Somebody has to speak when other people are quiet.

The opposite of poverty is not wealth. I don't believe that. I actually think, in too many places, the opposite of poverty is justice.

The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.

Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done.

We live in a country that talks about being the home of the brave and the land of the free, and we have the highest incarceration rate in the world.

You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.

I happen to feel that the degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she can bring to bear on the same topic.

A good leader is known by ‘his qualities’ not ‘his authorities’.

Yes, I have patterns of love addiction. But I'm a woman. Of course I do.

Which is my best picture? The one I will do tomorrow.

Sometimes a happy delusion is better than grim reality.

We are about to have a racial explosion.

I've grown up with my audience; they're my age or older. Not a lot of kids are coming to see me.

The ring at the end of my nose makes me look rather pretty.

My parents were opera singers and voice teachers, so growing up, I admired musicians and dancers.

You know, I play in small, intimate venues; I'm not an arena performer.