Although wisdom is built on life experiences, the mere accumulation of years guarantees nothing.

Each one of them [referring to her family] believed that hiding things is never good and that by sharing them, we could give hope to some people - because so many people we know have suffered some of the same things.

I accept the proposition that...“to judge is an exercise of power” and because...“there is no objective stance but only a series of perspectives – no neutrality, no escape from choice in judging,” I further accept that our experiences as women and people of color affect our decisions.

[On the desert:] The wind was a constant, and when you paid attention, it seemed like the earth's own breathing.

I am a New Yorker, and 7:00 A.M. is a civilized hour to finish the day, not to start it.

There are no bystanders in life [...] Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves.

If you're poor, you don't often live near a good school. If it's a competitive public school program, our kids are not prepared to enter those programs.