An American Negro, however deep his sympathies, or however bright his rage, ceases to be simply a black man when he faces a black man from Africa.

Love him and let him love you. Do you think anything else under heaven really matters?

A society must assume that it is stable, but the artist must know, and he must let us know, that there is nothing stable under heaven.

Rage can only with difficulty, and never entirely, be brought under the domination of the intelligence, and therefore is not susceptible to any arguments whatsoever.

I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself.

I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.

I'm not interested in anybody's guilt. Guilt is a luxury that we can no longer afford. I know you didn't do it, and I didn't do it either, but I am responsible for it because I am a man and a citizen of this country and you are responsible for it, too, for the very same reason... Anyone who is trying to be conscious must begin to dismiss the vocabulary which we've used so long to cover it up, to lie about the way things are.