The black woman had had to struggle against being a person of great strength.

I am the product of many whose lives have touched mine, from the famous, distinguished, and powerful to the little known and the poor.

We've got to work to save our children and do it with full respect for the fact that if we do not, no one else is going to do it.

If the times aren't ripe, you have to ripen the times.

Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.

I think of my life as a unity of circles. Some are concentric, others overlap, but they all connect in some way. Sometimes the connections don't happen for years. But when they do, I marvel. As in a shimmering kaleidoscope, familiar patterns keep unfolding

The Black family of the future will foster our liberation, enhance our self-esteem, and shape our ideas and goals.