I consider myself always a humorist. And I think anybody who tells jokes or makes people laugh is humor.

When I went south in the 1960s, I knew I could die. If I went down there and did what I did up in Chicago and made all of those hatin' white folks laugh, then I would have been defeated.

What price would God demand from the churches for having the audacity to lighten the color of his son's skin, and straighten out his nappy hair?

The jelly-bean eating thug says that national defense is important. But national defense starts at home.

I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark.

I'm not a comic. I'm a humorist.

My wife and I went to jail in Selma. The difference when I was back there recently? White folks? No. Black folks who were not scared. I was behind the president this time. When I was a little boy and ran around with trifling dudes, I was the only one scared of dogs. And I was bitten 14 times! Dogs smell scared. And that's the same thing with people: 50 years ago they smelled fear. There was no fear this time.