The tragedy of life is not found in failure but complacency. Not in you doing too much, but doing too little. Not in you living above your means, but below your capacity. It's not failure but aiming too low, that is life's greatest tragedy.

Whatever you do, do it so well that people looking on will feel that the task was reserved especially for you by God Himself.

In this perilous world, if a black boy wanted to live a halfway normal life and die a natural death he had to learn early the art of how to get along with white folks.

Whatever you do,strive to do it so well that no man living and no man dead and no man yet to be born could do it any better.

Many well-meaning intelligent people have argued since the May 17, 1954, decision of the United States Supreme Court outlawing segregation in the public schools that communication between the races has broken down.

The creation of the spiritual was no accident. It was a creation born of necessity, so that the slave might more adequately adjust himself to the conditions of the New World.

A child must learn early to believe that she is somebody worthwhile, and that she can do many praiseworthy things.