Being Black and poor is, I think, radically different from being anything else and poor. Poor, to most Blacks, is a state of mind. Those who accept it are poor; those who struggle are middle class.

History is wonderful. We have so much we can learn if we would quit making ideology out of history, and just deal with what happened.

Daddy says the world is a drum tight and hard and I told him I'm gonna beat out my own rhythm.

If you are sitting there waiting for someone to tell you how wonderful you are, you'll never get anything done. Women need to get over being women. I'm tired of that socialization of women; that we are always supposed to be sitting around pleasing somebody.

Young people coming up who are having difficulty with their so-called celebrity need to get back into their lives. It's your life and you can't let the fact that you do something pretty good take away the joy of it.

If you're a writer, the answer to everything is yes.

The more you love someone the more he wants from you and the less you have to give since you've already given him your love.