I ran away from St. Louis, and then I ran away from the United States, because of that terror of discrimination.

Friends, to me for years St. Louis represented a city of fear... humiliation... misery and terror... A city where in the eyes of the white man a Negro should know his place and had better stay in it.

When I was a child and they burned me out of my home, I was frightened and I ran away. Eventually I ran far away. It was to a place called France. Many of you have been there, and many have not. But I must tell you, ladies and gentlemen, in that country I never feared. It was like a fairyland place.

I spent 30 minutes each morning rubbing my body with half a lemon to lighten my skin.

I think they must mix blood, otherwise the human race is bound to degenerate. Mixing blood is marvelous. It makes strong and intelligent men. It takes away tired spirits.

We've got to show that blacks and whites are treated equally in the army. Otherwise, what's the point of waging war on Hitler?

Art is an elastic sort of love.