femelu could not understand this, her mother’s ability to tell herself stories about her reality that did not even resemble her reality

Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black. Stop arguing. Stop saying I'm Jamaican or I'm Ghanaian. America doesn't care.

There are many different ways to be poor in the world but increasingly there seems to be one single way to be rich.

Race doesn't really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don't have that choice.

Sometimes she worried that she was too happy. . . And her joy would become a restless thing, flapping its wings inside her, as though looking for an opening to fly away.

Ifemelu thought about the expression "sweet girl." Sweet girl meant that, for a long time, Don had molded Ranyinudo into a malleable shape, or that she had allowed him to think he had.

A book did not qualify as literature unless it had polysyllabic words and incomprehensible passages.

Ma? I think you have the spirit of husband-repelling. You are too hard, ma, you will not find a husband. But my pastor can destroy that spirit.

They never said “I don’t know.” They said, instead, “I’m not sure, ” which did not give any information but still suggested the possibility of knowledge.

...she thought of him as a person who did not have a normal spine, but had instead, a firm reed of goodness.

One day, I will look up and all the people I know will be dead or abroad.

We don’t drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there.

I was not crying - eyes water. I think we all know I'm a badass and I don't cry. - Caleb

I am interested in computers and technology, and art, photography, and design.

The ultimate truth is penultimately a falsehood.

You, the foreign media, have been the companion of my people in its long and painful journey to freedom.

Do whatever you're directed to do, and leave the rest of that technical stuff up to the director.

Actors are always a little high at work. Acting is their drug. So when you put the brakes on, they're naturally a little disappointed.

If we could sweep intemperance out of the country, there would be hardly poverty enough left to

I'm an actress, model, and singer.

If you don't want to work weekends, don't.