The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.

Revolution is not a one time event.

Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me.

We are all more blind to what we have than to what we have not.

I find I am constantly being encouraged to pluck out some one aspect of myself and present this as the meaningful whole, eclipsing or denying the other parts of self.

We can learn to work and speak when we are afraid in the same way we have learned to work and speak when we are tired.

If this society ascribes roles to Black men which they are not allowed to fulfill, is it Black women who must bend and alter our lives to compensate, or is it society that needs changing?

What gets me about the United States is that it pretends to be honest and therefore has so little room to move toward hope.

Too often, we pour the energy needed for recognizing and exploring difference into pretending those differences are insurmountable barriers, or that they do not exist at all.

No woman is responsible for altering the psyche of her oppressor, even when that psyche is embodied in another woman.

Oppressed peoples are always being asked to stretch a little more, to bridge the gap between blindness and humanity.

Ensure that your fame doesn't bring you shame.

Not being impressed by anyone or anything is one of the surest paths to a life of mediocrity.

Get busy living or get busy trying. Life will move forward with or without you. The question is

Remember this—the journey is part of the dream.  Whatever it is you're chasing, so long as you are actively moving in the right direction, the dream is coming true.

A budget tells us what we can't afford, but it doesn't keep us from buying it.

I do not wear my emotions on my sleeve; I write about them.

Getting [cruise missiles] more accurate so that we can have precise precision.

Stupidity is a luxury and you will find time and time and time and again that those who are overwhelmingly on the left are those who can afford to be.

I have really done so few bad things that they have to keep harping on the old ones [.]

An amazing observation: it is precisely for feelings that one needs time, not for thought. ... Feelings, obviously, are more demanding than thought.