1.
Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.
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Triumph is not assessed by what a person achieves, but by the impediments he or she has triumphed over to realize their aspirations.
2.
Progress comes from caring more about what needs to be done than about who gets the credit
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Advancement stems from prioritizing action over accolades.
3.
We have to improve life, not just for those who have the most skills and those who know how to manipulate the system. But also for and with those who often have so much to give but never get the opportunity.
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4.
Civil rights are civil rights. There are no persons who are not entitled to their civil rights... We have to recognize that we have a long way to go, but we have to go that way together.
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'Equal rights are fundamental. Nobody should be deprived of their basic privileges... We have a lot of ground to cover, but we must make the journey in unison.'
5.
When you're a black woman, you seldom get to do what you just want to do; you always do what you have to do.
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When you're a black woman, you rarely have the opportunity to do what pleases you; you always act out of necessity.
6.
Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.
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Without volunteerism, we would not have a thriving quality of life. It's advantageous to the individual who contributes as much as it is to the beneficiary. It's how we cultivate and evolve ourselves.
7.
We've got to work to save our children and do it with full respect for the fact that if we do not, no one else is going to do it.
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We must take action to protect our children, bearing in mind that if we do not, no one else will.
8.
I think of my life as a unity of circles. Some are concentric, others overlap, but they all connect in some way. Sometimes the connections don't happen for years. But when they do, I marvel. As in a shimmering kaleidoscope, familiar patterns keep unfolding
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9.
There is no contradiction between effective law enforcement and respect for civil and human rights.
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10.
My mother helped me understand how not to show off what I knew, but how to use it so that others might benefit.
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11.
We had people of all backgrounds coming together - all races, all creeds, all colors, all status in life. And coming together there was a kind of quiet dignity and a kind of sense of caring and a feeling of joint responsibility.
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12.
If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time.
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13.
No one will do for you what you need to do for yourself. We cannot afford to be separate. We have to see that all of us are in the same boat.
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14.
If you worry about who is going to get credit, you don't get much work done.
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15.
I want to be remembered as one who tried.
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16.
A Negro woman has the same kind of problems as other women, but she can't take the same things for granted.
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17.
The Black family of the future will foster our liberation, enhance our self-esteem, and shape our ideas and goals.
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18.
We have to realize we are building a movement.
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19.
I am the product of many whose lives have touched mine, from the famous, distinguished, and powerful to the little known and the poor.
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20.
We are not a problem people, we are people with problems.
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21.
The black woman had had to struggle against being a person of great strength.
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22.
If the times aren't ripe, you have to ripen the times.
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23.
We have to see that all of us are in the same boat.
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