You factor in racism as a reality and you keep moving.

We've got to have a legacy of leadership. We've got to bring along with us a generation of black women who are going to confront twenty-first-century realities.

Black people are the only segment in American society that is defined by its weakest elements. Every other segment is defined by its highest achievement. We have to turn that around.

Never be content with your work, your relationships, your life. That's the stupid advice philosophers give today.

Imaginary happiness has an “end” and real happiness is “permanent”.

A good conscience is a continual Christmas.

Once the world has made a decision, there is little anyone can do to change its mind.

Loving you no more, I just I can't I just can't be loving you no more, I love you more than I love myself

Without hustle, talent will only carry you so far.

It's one thing to be a perfectionist when you're alone, but when you're trying to make it work in an ensemble that's a whole different deal.

Some dying men are the most tyrannical; and certainly, since they will shortly trouble us so little for evermore, the poor fellows ought to be indulged.

I'm not saying my mother didn't like me, but she kept looking for loopholes in my birth certificate.

I had a dual role: designer and advocate.