My parents pressed upon me that "In this world, you are a black woman," so I was political about my hair and would not straighten it.

My mother's white, and she didn't know how to do my hair, so I had something that I always call white-mama hair.

There came a point when I wanted to do television, and I didn't think the Afro was going to play, so I made a very difficult choice - to straighten my hair.

Often hair is the way we are differentiated in this culture. To me the decision to straighten your hair is deeply political.

For black women our sense of ourselves is not always consistent with the way other people see us.

I've done lots of pieces on self-esteem and hair. There's a desire to conform, but if the encouragement to be yourself is there from loved ones, you'll find that later, that true self will come out.

When you win a race your on top that day, so take it for what its worth, have a good time and party, cause the next day when you get out of bed, the meter goes back to zero again.

Manage by objectives. Tell people exactly what you want them to do and then get out of their way.

These days baseball is different. You come to Spring Training, you get your legs ready, you arms loose, your agents ready your lawyer lined up.

I'm more proud of my upper body. Let's just say I'm a typical female in that way.

Northern white people love the Negro in a sort of abstract way, as a race; through a sense of justice, charity, and philanthropy, they will liberally assist in his elevation.

I’m a big believer in accepting yourself the way you are and not really worrying about it.

He will kill mice and he will be kind to babies...but when the moon gets up and the night comes, he is the Cat that Walks by Himself.

As long as there is life there is hope.

The frustrating part of being tagged 'controversial' is people go looking for trouble where there isn't any to look for.

I don't think a married couple can go through life without laughs together any more than they can without tears.