I've never seen anyone more messed up over success than Richard Pryor. For him, it's a constant battle between success in the white world and keeping it real for his black self.

A new broom can sweep the floor, but an old broom knows where the dirt is.

People don't want to hear the truth, they never do. They wanna live in some kind of fantasy. And then when they get caught up in it, they start being in denial because they don't want to be wrong.

I have nothing to do with racism in America; it was here when I got here.

We have a lot of black Anglo-Saxons. Their skin is black, but their brain is white. When I get real mad at them, I call them graham crackers.

If your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair is nappy, they're not happy.

People in America worship money, and a white man's face on a green piece of paper does not make me wealthy. My health makes me wealthy. I used to work at a hospital, so I know the real deal.

White people are very good at acting like they're not racist. They deserve an Academy Award for that.

Listen, we've got one little ol' black president, and white folks are upset, but they've had 43.

Handshaking means, 'I don't have a weapon.'

If you have money and you have fame, but you don't have any confidence in your blackness, then it's all for nothing.

Seven times up, eight times down

In real life, it is very important to be able to see a tiny difference between need for speed or just want to overtake.

I am proud to be known to the world as the founder of the Illuminati.

Cleave to no faith when faith brings blood.

The same people that always think I'm pretentious will think I'm pretentious, and the people who relate to me will continue to relate to me.

Don’t you rob yourself of what you’re feeling; don’t rob yourself of all that you could be.

Never do anything for a student that he he is capable of doing for himself. If you do you, you'll make him an educational cripple...a pedagogical paraplegic.

The issue isn't just jobs. Even slaves had jobs. The issue is wages.

Whatever may happen the sun will rise tomorrow as it rose to-day, beneficent and serene.

Nobody seemed to have any perspective any longer. Those were low points. But we got through it.