I remember the day tDr. King died. I wasn't angry at the beginning. It was like something very personal in my life had been touched and finished.

I'm still learning, you know. At 80, I feel there is a lot I don't know.

It's ill-becoming for an old broad to sing about how bad she wants it. But occasionally we do.

You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way.

In my early days I was a sepia Hedy Lamarr. Now I'm black and a woman, singing my own way.

I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were.

It's so nice to get flowers while you can still smell the fragrance.