Let Southern oppressors tremble-let their secret abettors tremble-let their Northern apologists tremble-let all the enemies of the persecuted blacks tremble.

Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril.

There must be no compromise with slavery - none whatever. Nothing is gained, everything is lost, by subordinating principle to expedience.

I will be as harsh as truth, and uncompromising as justice... I am in earnest, I will not equivocate, I will not excuse, I will not retreat a single inch, and I will be heard.

With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.

Everyone should be treated fairly no matter what they look like.

No man shall rule over me with my consent. I will rule over no man.

I have a need to be all on fire, for I have mountains of ice about me to melt.

The compact which exists between the North and the South is a covenant with death and an agreement with hell.

We may be personally defeated, but our principles never!

You can not possibly have a broader basis for government than that which includes all the people, with all their rights in their hands, and with an equal power to maintain their rights.

Going forward, you must adjust to the new reality, be more self directed, and learn to be productive under the reign of uncertainty, unpredictability, and unstable times.

One may as well be asleep as to read for anything but to improve his mind and morals, and regulate his conduct.

I guess you can look at me, and tell I'm the old man. My name is BB King.

We are star stuff which has taken its destiny into its own hands. The loom of time and space works the most astonishing transformations of matter.

We cannot silence the voices that we do not like hearing. We can, however, do everything in our power to make certain that other voices are heard.

The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt that it didn't matter.

Man and woman, love, what is it? A cork and a bottle.

Friendship requires a leap, not of faith but of regard.

If the U.S. is going to defend itself, why shouldn't we do the same? We only want to be treated equally, nothing more.

If I were a painter, you'd be calling me Shaqcasso.