"I choose to live deliberately, with intention and purpose."
Life
"Peace begins within; only then can it spread to the world around you."
Peace
"The beauty of a shared dream is that it multiplies with each person who joins."
Dreams
"I am my history, my struggles, and my victories all woven together."
"Success without integrity is just a beautiful lie."
Success
"I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins."
History
"My soul has grown deep like the rivers."
Wisdom
"Life for me ain't been no crystal stair."
Life
"I too sing America."
Freedom
"We have tomorrow bright before us like a flame."
Hope
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly."
Dreams
"The night is beautiful, so the faces of my people."
Beauty
"Daddy, I want to turn the clock back to yesterday."
Time
"I tire so of these white faces, preaching non-violence and patience."
Justice
"In all my years of writing, I have tried to reveal the life of those struggling, those who do not appear in the headlines."
Literature
"Art should express the joys and struggles of all people."
Art
"The road of life twists and turns, but eventually leads where you need to be."
Change
"I believe in the human spirit, in its capacity for growth and transformation."
Faith
"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
Dreams
"I learned about life in the streets, in blues bars, and from ordinary people."
Knowledge
"Laughter is a weapon of survival against despair."
Humor
"The dream of America has not yet been realized for all its people."
Freedom
"We must remember that our true heritage is one of struggle and dignity."
History
"I write about what I see and what I feel, without apology."
Creativity
"Beauty is in the strength of the people, in their resilience."
Strength
"Love, when it comes your way, grab it with both hands."
Love
"The most powerful force in the world is human determination."
Power
"I sing the songs of the working people, the forgotten people."
Music
"Peace comes not from absence of conflict, but from acceptance and understanding."
Peace
"Every person deserves to dream, to hope, to believe in tomorrow."
Hope