One does not fight to influence change and then leave the change to someone else to bring about.

If a white man wants to lynch me, that’s his problem. If he’s got the power to lynch me, that’s my problem. Racism is not a question of attitude; it’s a question of power.

Our grandfathers had to run, run, run. My generation's out of breath. We ain't running no more.

There is a higher law than the law of government. That's the law of conscience.

The secret of life is to have no fear; it's the only way to function.

Our noses are broad, our lips are thick, our hair is nappy-we are black and beautiful!

What a liberal really wants is to bring about change that will not in any way endanger his position.

An organization which claims to speak for the needs of a community must speak in the tone of that community.

Now, then, in order to understand white supremacy we must dismiss the fallacious notion that white people can give anybody their freedom.

Go home and tell your daughters they are beautiful.

The time for running has come to an end. You tell them white folk in Mississippi that all the scared niggers are dead!

Godlessness invariably produces vulgarity. Civilization is the product of belief.

Having your fiscal house in order and having a more manageable macro-economic future is going to be very useful in creating growth.

Theoretically, everyone's inner being knows everything. There is a part of us that is aware of all things. But that doesn't necessarily do us a whole lot of good unless we are conscious of that.

Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.

The beauty of music is that everyone hears it their own way, and every song you hear leaves an impression on you that alters the way you hear everything from that point on.

I took piano lessons when I was like 5 or 6 but that was a long time ago. I stopped when I was 13.

To overturn orthodoxy is no easier in science than in philosophy, religion, economics, or any of the other disciplines through which we try to comprehend the world and the society in which we live.

Experiencing flow helps a person remember that they are unique. ... Just like everyone else.

My desolation does begin to make A better life.

Lawless schools produce lawless children.