When I’m writing, I am trying to find out who I am, who we are, what we’re capable of, how we feel, how we lose and stand up, and go on from darkness into darkness.
Most people don’t grow up. It’s too damn difficult. What happens is most people get older.
Those who have something to say accept the fact that that’s lonely. One already knows that there will be adversaries.
I don’t think modesty is a very good virtue, if it is a virtue at all. A modest person will drop the modesty in a minute. It’s a learned affectation.
Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or intelligent and not very intellectual. One hopes, of course, that they try to bring the two virtues, the two elements, into their lives at the same time.
Martin Luther King was a human being with a brilliant mind, a powerful heart, and insight, and courage and also with a sense of humor. So he was accessible.
It is very dangerous to make a person larger than life because, then, young men and women are tempted to believe, well, if he was that great, he’s inaccessible, and I can never try to be that or emulate that or achieve that.
When people see the laughing face, even if they’re jealous of it, their burden is lightened. But do it first for yourself. Laugh and dare to try to love somebody, starting with yourself.
The only way you can be a mark is if you want something for nothing. If you’re greedy, you’re set up.
People feel guilty. And guilt is stymieing. Guilt immobilizes. Guilt closes the air ducts and the veins, and makes people ignorant.
When I forgive other people, I let them go, I free them from my ignorance. And as soon as I do, I feel lighter, brighter and better.
I want to be a good human being. I’m doing my best, and I’m working at it.
I believe that each of us comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. So at this wonderful, young age of 65, I don’t know yet what the Lord has for me to do. I try to live up to the energy and to the calling, but I wouldn’t dare say I have even scratched the surface yet.
The most difficult thing in the world, it seems to me, is to realize that I am a child of God; to keep that in my mind all the time.
If a person – any human being – is told often enough, “You are nothing. You are nothing. You account for nothing. You count for nothing. You are less than a human being. I have no visibility of you”, the person finally begins to believe it.
If you happen to fall in love with someone in another race, it’s more difficult, because you have to translate yourself.
It’s very hard for adults to maintain respect and romance so that a love affair can be sustained over years.
Try, start always at home. This is my encouragement to all writers, start at home. All virtues and vices begin at home, and then spread abroad.
It is imperative that young white men and women study the black American history. It is imperative that blacks and whites study the Asian American history.
My great blessing is my son, but I have daughters. I have white ones and Black ones and fat ones and thin ones and pretty ones and plain. I have gay ones and straight. I have daughters. I have Asian ones, I have Jewish ones, I have Muslim ones.