I not only have the right to stand up for myself, but I have the responsibility. I can't ask somebody else to stand up for me if I won't stand up for myself. And once you stand up for yourself, you'd be surprised that people say, "Can I be of help?".

When I try to describe myself to God I say, 'Lord, remember me? Black? Female? Six-foot tall? The writer?' And I almost always get God's attention.

Without courage you cannot practice any of the other virtues.

Dr. [Martin Luther] King was a human being. He had a sense of humor which was wonderful.

My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy.

We are only as blind as we want to be.

Courage, I don't think anybody is born with courage. I think you may be born with a flair to braggadocio, you know. That's not courage.