I don't call myself a Buddhist. I'm a free spirit. I believe I'm here on earth to admire and enjoy it; that's my religion.

Freedom, after all, is like love: the more you give to others, the more you have.

Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved. You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?

Oh, Celie, unbelief is a terrible thing. And so is the hurt we cause others unknowingly.

People will say to you, "Oh, you are fearless." That is so not true. We should stop saying that about people. It's a slander, really.

In my work and in myself I reflect black people, women and men, as I reflect others. One day even the most self-protective ones will look into the mirror I provide and not be afraid.

I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.