There is nowhere you can go and only be with people who are like you. Give it up.

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.

Welcome to prekindergarten! You will not die if you discover that there are more lines out there than just your own. In fact, you'll discover that you will have an advantage if you know more of them!

Coming up in the African-American culture, we were taught that we belonged to the universe and society was wrong in the way it dealt with us. We had to learn to express and affirm values not from the winning position.

If we dwell in a community that is comfortable, then it's probably not broad enough a coalition.

I started graduate school in 1971, I started working at the Smithsonian in the festival in 1972. I went full-time at the Smithsonian in 1974. And I got my doctorate in 1975.

Personally I discovered that you could go through the academy as a young scholar, come out, and almost immediately have an impact on the academic environment.