I made a promise to myself to be kinder to other people.

Don't be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it's just death.

Always be smarter than the people who hire you.

I'm me, and I'm like nobody else.

The best thing about living... Is the chance to keep on doing it!

My identity is very clear to me now, I am a black woman.

Nobody black or white who really believes in democracy can stand aside now; everybody's got to stand up and be counted.

You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way.

You wouldn't be allowed to get on a particular bus, but you'd be asked to sign your autograph.

You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way. But the slanting process is so subtle that you frequently don't realize how you're being slanted until very late in the game.

I found out along the way that they like you a little imperfect.

For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can.

True blessing comes in the dress of sweats, never delaying to wave bye to the excuses and procrastination. True blessing lies in hard work!

You know, I'm just a very boring, not very funny person in person. I don't feel pressured to be otherwise.

A Christian cannot fail of being a republican.

Confront your fears list them get to know them and only then will you be able to put them aside and move ahead.

The whole of virtue consists in its practice.

A woman should always challenge our respect, and never move our compassion.

I very much dislike the word "race," and I never use it. I use the word "racist." Race is not a fact. There is only one race: human. Skin color is less than 2 percent of the DNA.

I believe in unity, as opposed to division.