Most African Americans, especially the men and women from my generation, would accept the nationalist gambit that says only European Americans can be racists, which is an interesting gambit.

Is jazz a rhythm, or is it a vibration?

Everybody in America is angry about something.

I am interested in the study of music and the discipline of music and the experience of music and music as a esoteric mechanism to continue my real intentions.

I have learned through time that not everyone is interested in the kinds of things that fascinate me.

The word music is a convenient way to talk about what I'm interested in, but actually, in some ways, it's a limitation.

I would find myself backing away from all of the 'isms,' all of the communities. I have always been able to be misused by every community But that is OK. I would rather be misused than neglected.

I thank the Creator of the universe to have discovered the discipline of music was the greatest gift that I could have been given, the possibility to be a student working in the world.

My work has been marginalized as far as the jazz-business complex is concerned, or the contemporary-music complex.

I am viewed as the Negro who has gone outside of the categories assigned to me.

I know I’m an African-American, and I know I play the saxophone, but I’m not a jazz musician. I’m not a classical musician, either. My music is like my life: It’s in between these areas.

Life is a fairytale if we know how to write the story.

Always present yourself as a woman who expects to succeed.

India, in particular, is looking to develop nuclear power for domestic, commercial use, and we should work with them. This is a good deal for both countries.

Poetry must find ways of breaking distance.... all languages are dialects that are made to break new grounds.

I'm basically stubborn. If anyone disapproved of my being influenced by comics, I simply ignored them.

Well, honestly I feel like an ordinary woman.

That's one part of oppression is to make sure you are a shameful, shamed human being. That takes care of the past.

Donald Trump is not an unintelligent man.

Bringing all 45 members of my crazy family together, and watching them argue is super awesome. It's good to do it just once a year.

By the year 2000 we will undoubtedly have a sizable operation on the Moon, we will have achieved a manned Mars landing and it's entirely possible we will have flown with men to the outer planets.