...Negroes must concern themselves with every single means of struggle: legal, illegal, passive, active, violent and non- violent.... They must harass, debate, petition, boycott, sing hymns, pray on steps--and shoot from their windows when the racists come cruising through their communities.... The acceptance of our condition is the only form of extremism which discredits us before our children [ellipses in source].
Lorraine HansberryOne cannot live with sighted eyes and feeling heart and not know and read of the miseries which affect the world.
Lorraine HansberryI think that the glorious thing about the human race is that it does change the world -- constantly. The world or 'life' may seem to more often overwhelm the human being's capacity for struggling against being overwhelmed which is remarkable and exhilarating.
Lorraine HansberryWhen a man knows that the abstraction ten exists - nothing on earth can stop him from looking for the fact of eleven.
Lorraine HansberrySeems like God don't see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams - but He did give us children to make them dreams seem worthwhile.
Lorraine HansberryI wish to live because life has within it that which is good, that which is beautiful and that which is love. Therefore, since I have known all of these things, I have found them to be reason enough and - I wish to live. Moreover, because this is so, I wish others to live for generations and generations and generations.
Lorraine Hansberry