“I don’t have any extraordinary gifts. I’m just an average Joe who grew up very poor in rural Alabama.”

There should be a graphic novel dealing with the contribution of the women of the civil rights movement, to tell their story.

The vote controls everything that you do.

Music is a universal language.

Even in the civil rights movement, there were so many unbelievable women. They never, ever received the credit that they should have received. They did all of the, and I cannot say it, they did all of the dirty work. Hard work.

I believe that teachers – whether in elementary schools, at the secondary level, or at colleges and universities – every teacher deserves the Nobel Peace Prize just for maintaining order in our schools!

We built a coalition of conscience, and that we can do it again, and we can go forward, and help redeem the soul of America.

You cannot give up – you have to be persistent and keep pushing, and press on.

Sometimes I feel like crying, tears of happiness, tears of joy, to see the distance we’ve come and the progress we’ve made.

Non violence as a way of life, a way of living, not simply as a technique or a tactic.

Say something. Have the courage. Have the backbone. Get in the way. Walk with the wind. It’s all going to work out.

You have to have the capacity and the ability to take what people did, and how they did it, and forgive them and move on.

Every single vote is precious.

We never gave up. We didn’t get lost in a sea of despair. We kept the faith. We kept pushing and pulling. We kept marching. And we made some progress.

We must do the work that justice and equality calls us to do.

I think all Americans should be hopeful, and try to be optimistic.

There is a need for a movement of non-violent direct action.

The average millionaire can’t tell you who got thrown off the island last night.

The average result has to be the average result. By definition, everybody can’t beat the market. As I always say, the iron rule of life is that only 20% of the people can be in the top fifth. That’s just the way it is.

The average woman sees only the weak points in a strong man, and the good points in a weak one.

Passionately protest mediocrity.

There is no other subject on which the average mind is so much confused as the subject of tolerance and intolerance… Tolerance applies only to persons, but never to principles. Intolerance applies only to principles, but never to persons.

Fame can take interesting men and thrust mediocrity upon them.

There can be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. His instinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, he most illogically kicks up a row.

People residing within the cult of average don’t like to see others rise. It threatens their security, and spotlights their low self-worth. Go for great, no matter what they say.