“I think it made me all that much stronger of a writer when you have to teach yourself how to say words from scratch.”

Through poetry we shall catch the conscience of a nation.

I did a lot of sitting back and thinking about what I wanted for myself and what I wanted for my country: more unity, more support for the arts and more opportunities for young writers from marginalized groups.

Whenever I listen to songs, I rewrite them in my head.

One of the most rewarding moments of my career is when I’m speaking to a child who tells me they have the same speech impediment that I had to overcome and that they’re going to keep writing or sharing their voice after hearing my story.

What’s really funny about being National Youth Poet Laureate is that not everyone even knows it exists.

My mom wanted to make sure I was prepared to grow up with Black skin in America.

I am my own best mirror.

I try to approach reading in front of millions of people as I would reading in somebody’s living room.

Your daily challenge to not be like a boss, but the boss, in all things you.

Let each dawn find us courageous, brought closer, heeding the lights before the fight is over.

Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights.

I think we run into issues when our online brands are not rooted in who we are, and I think we need to have explicit discussions with ourselves about who we want to be, what we want to represent, and how we want to express that.

I close my eyes and I am with this army of young women standing in a line and I imagine us walking forward together.

To hone my voice, I read everything, from books to cereal boxes, three times: once for fun, the second time to learn something new about the writing craft, and the third time was to improve that piece.

The fight isn’t over – it’s just begun. It’s time to suit up for a battle that might determine the war.

I am the daughter of Black writers who are descended from Freedom Fighters who broke their chains and changed the world. They call me.

Every little thing teaches you how to remain strong all by yourself.

Rough seas that make us stronger.

As humans grew stronger, I think that we became quite arrogant, losing the sorrow of ‘we have no other choice.’

I am invariably late for appointments – sometimes as much as two hours. I’ve tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong, and too pleasing.

When you have a strong vision to accomplish your dreams, the goodness starts moving through you.

You’re probably impatient with the one person that triggers a strong negative emotional reaction in you.

The myth of the strong black woman is the other side of the coin of the myth of the beautiful dumb blonde.

You are here for a reason and a strong purpose.