“ If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And if we have the effrontery to talk to anybody with less than courtesy, we tell ourselves and the world we are not very intelligent. ”

“ In the flush of love's light, we dare be brave. And suddenly we see that love costs all we are, and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free. ”

“ I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. ”

“ Won't it be wonderful when black history and native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book. Just U.S. history. ”

“ Fighting for one's freedom, struggling towards being free, is like struggling to be a poet or a good Christian or a good Jew or a good Muslim or good Zen Buddhist. You work all day long and achieve some kind of level of success by nightfall, go to sleep and wake up the next morning with the job still to be done. So you start all over again. ”

“ I love the song 'I Hope You Dance' by Lee Ann Womack. I was going to write that song, but someone beat me to it. ”

“ We are braver and wiser because they existed, those strong women and strong men... We are who we are because they were who they were. It's wise to know where you come from, who called your name. ”

“ Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. ”

“ I don't know how much longer I'll be around. I'll probably be writing when the Lord says, 'Maya, Maya Angelou, it's time.' ”

“ We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. ”