If a white man wants to lynch me, that’s his problem. If he’s got the power to lynch me, that’s my problem. Racism is not a question of attitude; it’s a question of power.

I also know that while I am black I am a human being, and therefore I have the right to go into any public place. White people didn't know that.Every time I tried to go into a place they stopped me

An organization which claims to speak for the needs of a community must speak in the tone of that community.

Before a group can enter the open society, it must first close ranks.

I maintain that every civil rights bill in this country was passed for white people, not for black people.

The first need of a free people is to define their own terms.

The secret of life is to have no fear; it's the only way to function.