Poetry is music, and nothing but music. Words with musical emphasis.

The artist's role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely. That's how I see it. Otherwise, I don't know why you do it.

A man is either free or he is not. There cannot be any apprenticeship for freedom.

There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you

The torture of being the unseen object, and the constantly observed subject.

My responsibility is to truth and beauty.

In America, black is a country.

I'd say I'm a revolutionary optimist. I believe that the good guys -the people- are going to win.

There is no depth to education without art.

Thought is more important than art....To revere art and have no understanding of the process that forces it into existence, is finally not even to understand what art is.

All thinking people oppose terrorism both domestic & international but one should not be used to cover the other

You are never too old or too young to be a leader.

The value system of a country comes from the pulpit.

You know the bad thing about being a survivor... You keep having to get into difficult situations in order to show off your gift.

The plate tectonics of media have shifted where NBC had to become a new media company from an old media company.

No man is so insignificant as to be sure his example can do no hurt.

Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time.

When you have fun then you're more interested in learning.

NAFTA and GATT have about as much to do with free trade as the Patriot Act has to do with liberty.

Joining the Liberal Party was a no-brainer for me... And when you are a young man, you don't get a calculator out saying, 'Am I going to get to power?' You get propelled forward by idealism.

"I see it, but I don't believe it."