A little nepotism never hurt nobody, honey. If you got it, use it. Press on with it. Remind them of it.

I learned from Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington, Adelaide Hall, the Nicholas Brothers, the whole thing, the whole schmear. [The Cotton Club] was a great place because it hired us, for one thing, at a time when it was really rough [for Black performers].

I'm not a career kind of person. When I saw new music, new trends coming in, I didn't see any place for me. And I didn't think about it as a career loss, because I was married - I have a great- grandchild now. The low points were when I lost people that I really cared about.

Malcolm X made me very strong at a time I needed to understand what I was angry about. He had peace in his heart. He exerted a big influence on me.

Nobody black or white who really believes in democracy can stand aside now; everybody's got to stand up and be counted.

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

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