Men may make laws to hinder and fetter the ballot, but men cannot make laws that will bind or retard the growth of manhood.

At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence.

Every person who has grown to any degree of usefulness, every person who has grown to distinction, almost without exception has been a person who has risen by overcoming obstacles, by removing difficulties, by resolving that when he met discouragement he would not give up.

Each one should remember there is a chance for him.

I pity from the bottom of my heart any nation or body of people that is so unfortunate as to get entangled in the net of slavery.

I never liked the atmosphere of Washington . I early saw that it was impossible to build up a race of which the leaders were spending most of their time, thought and energy in trying to get into office, or in trying to stay there after they were in.

A sure way for one to lift himself up is by helping to lift someone else.