“You can't make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.”

“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I...”

“Hes always asking: Is that new? I havent seen that before. Its like, Why dont you mind your own business? Solve world hunger. Get out of my closet.”

“Dont be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered.”

“When they go low, we go high.”

“Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise.”

“Each day brings new opportunities, allowing you to constantly live with lovebe there for othersbring a little light into someone's day. Be grateful and live each day to the fullest.”

“Got no checkbooks, got no banks. Still I'd like to express my thanks - I've got the sun in the mornin' and the moon at night.”

“Be consistent in your dedication to showing your gratitude to others. Gratitude is a fuel, a medicine, and spiritual and emotional nourishment.”

“No black woman writer in this culture can write "too much". Indeed, no woman writer can write "too much"...No woman has ever written enough.”

“When you reduce a woman to writing, she makes you think of a thousand other women”

“I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.”

“There are many things that make a man irritable when he arrives home from work in the evening and a sensible wife will usually notice the storm-signals and will leave him alone until he simmers down.”

“Oblivion, she thought. That was the world she lived in. It was what they should name some countries, towns, and places.”

“A lot of men wouldn't like being called a romantic. It's not macho enough.'Quite often men are fools.”