I was born with the ability to see in metaphor.

There, in the silence that's never quite silent, I realized that, if there are at least seven thousand wants to speak, there are at least seven thousand ways to listen.

Can we listen to each other the way veins listen to blood?

Your good character and attitude should be your message to the world.

The mind supplies the idea of a nation, but what gives this idea its sentimental force is a community of dreams.

I miss the banter with friends and family, which more often than not takes place within the confines of a decent public house. So I miss the pubs.

We African Americans have now spent the major part of the 20th Century battling racism

A film - especially when it's a personal film - is going to hit somebody or it's not. There's nothing you can do about it.

There is no shortcut to achievement.

The universe is computing its own destiny.

I like to go out there looking like a strong woman, because I am strong. But I am also a woman who goes through all kinds of problems and highs and lows.

Everything hinges on education. Without it, you can't advocate for proper health care, for housing, for a civil rights bill that ensures your rights.

The most seditious is the most cowardly.