The answer to injustice is not to silence the critic but to end the injustice.

The talents of an artist, small or large, are God-given... They are a sacred trust.

Freedom is a hard-bought thing.

Yes, I heard my people singing!-in the glow of parlor coal-stove and on summer porches sweet with lilac air, from choir loft and Sunday morning pews-and my soul was filled with their harmonies.

The faces and the tactics of the leaders may change every four years, or two, or one, but the people go on forever.

I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to hear the melody of freedom or the words that might inspire hope and courage in the face of fear. My weapons are peaceful, for it is only by peace that peace can be attained. The song of freedom must prevail.

In my music, my plays, my films, I want to carry always this central idea: to be African.