If on Judgement Day I were summoned by St. Peter to give testimony to the used-to-be sheriff's act of kindness, I would be unable to say anything in his behalf. His confidence that my uncle and every other Black man who heard of the Klan's coming ride would scurry under their houses to hide in chicken droppings was too humiliating to hear. Without waiting for Momma's thanks, he rode out of the yard, sure that things were as they should be and that he was a gentle squire, saving those deserving serfs from the laws of the land, which he condoned.

Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.

The needs of a society determine its ethics.

People don't always remember what you say or even what you do, but they always remember how you make them feel.

You can only become great at something you are willing to sacrifice for

Don't let the incidents which take place in life bring you low. And certainly don't whine. You can be brought low, that's OK, but don't be reduced by them. Just say, 'That's life.'

We must create a climate where people agree that human beings are more alike than unalike. The only way to do that is through education.