I'm not goin' anywhere, I'm right here!

The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.

Negroes aren't seeking anything which is not good for the nation as well as ourselves. In order for America to be 100 percent strong -- economically, defensively and morally -- we cannot afford the waste of having second- and third-class citizens.

There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.

The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.

I don't think that I or any other Negro, as an American citizen, should have to ask for anything that is rightfully his. We are demanding that we just be given the things that are rightfully ours and that we're not looking for anything else.

Are you looking for a Negro who won't fight back?