I have crossed over on the backs of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Madam C. J. Walker. Because of them I can now live the dream. I am the seed of the free, and I know it. I intend to bear great fruit.

Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

I believe in the power that not only allows the sun to rise but turns seeds into flowers and dreams into realities.

I've learned to rely on the strength I inherited from all those who came before me-the grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and brothers who were tested with unimaginable hardships and still survived. 'I go forth alone, and stand as ten thousand,' Maya Angelou proclaimed in her poem 'Our Grandmothers.' When I move through the world, I bring all my history with me-all the people who paved the way for me are part of who I am.

Being a mother is the hardest job on earth. Women everywhere must declare it so.

My response is that I love the church.

What I've learned about being angry with people is that it generally hurts you more than it hurts them.