Each person must live their life as a model for others.

If I stayed angry at other people, I would miss finding friends among those I was angry with.

When I see the leadership roles black women are taking today I am very encouraged.

The time had just come when I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed.

All I was trying to do was get home from work.

I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed. I had decided that I would have to know once and for all what rights I had as a human being and a citizen.

I did not want to be mistreated, I did not want to be deprived of a seat that I had paid for. It was just time… there was opportunity for me to take a stand to express the way I felt about being treated in that manner. I had not planned to get arrested. I had plenty to do without having to end up in jail. But when I had to face that decision, I didn't hesitate to do so because I felt that we had endured that too long. The more we gave in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the more oppressive it became.