Not long ago, an English writer telephoned me from London, asking questions. One was "What's your alma mater?" I told him, "Books." You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I'm not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man.

It's got to be the ballot or the bullet. The ballot or the bullet. If you're afraid to use an expression like that, you should get back in the cotton patch, you should get back in the alley.

Our success in America will involve two circles: Black Nationalism and Islam–it will take BN [Black Nationalism] to make our people conscious of doing for self & then Islam will provide the spiritual guidance. BN [Black Nationalism] will link us to Africa and Islam will link us spiritually to Africa, Arabia & Asia.

You don't stick a knife in a man's back nine inches and then pull it out six inches and say you're making progress.

I was with Essien Udom in Nigeria.

If [politician] is not fulfilling his function, they then can set up the machinery to remove him from that position by whatever means necessary.

You have a race problem that must be solved, or else you will alienate every non-white person on this earth within the next few years, or within the next few months.