Happiness is nothing but everyday living seen through a veil.

Everybody is two beings: one lives and flourishes in the daylight and stands guard. The other being walks and howls at night.

It is easy to be hopeful in the day when you can see the things you wish on.

Among the thousand white persons, I am a dark rock surged upon, and overswept.

I am colored but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating circumstances except the fact that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother's side was not an Indian chief.

Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves.

It is hard to apply oneself to study when there is no money to pay for food and lodging. I almost never explain these things when folks are asking me why I don't do this or that.