It is the duty of the younger Negro artist . . . to change through the force of his art that old whispering "I want to be white," hidden in the aspirations of his people, to "Why should I want to be white? I am a Negro - and beautiful!"

I stuck my head out the window this morning and spring kissed me bang in the face.

We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.

Negro blood is sure powerful, because just one drop of black blood makes a colored man. One drop--you are a Negro! . . . Black is powerful.

I wish the rent Was heaven sent.

I know how to handle women who act like ladies, but my landlady ain't no lady. Sometimes I even wish I was living with my wife again so I could have my own place and not have no landladies.

Books -where if people suffered, they suffered in beautiful language, not in monosyllables, as we did in Kansas