“We didn’t have any civil rights. It was just a matter of survival, of existing from one day to the next.”

I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.

I was ready to die but give my consent never. Never, never.

Our freedom is threatened every time one of our young people is killed by another child, every time a person gets stopped and beaten by the police because of the color of their skin.

Since I have always been a strong believer in God, I knew that He was with me, and only He could get me through that next step.

Differences of race, nationality or religion should not be used to deny any human being citizenship rights or privileges.

I do the very best I can to look upon life with optimism and hope and looking forward to a better day.

The only way for prejudiced people to change is for them to decide for themselves that all human beings should be treated fairly.

No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

Everyone living together in peace and harmony and love – that’s the goal that we seek, and I think that the more people there are who reach that state of mind, the better we will all be.

An opportunity was being given to me to do what I had asked of others.

The bus was among the first ways I realized there was a black world and a white world.

I believe there is only one race – the human race.

Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.

There were times when it would have been easy to fall apart or to go in the opposite direction, but somehow I felt that if I took on more step, someone would come along to join me.

The time had just come when I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed.

Racial pride and self-dignity were emphasized in my family and community.

Science is the most reliable guide for civilization, for life, for success in the world. Searching a guide other than the science is meaning carelessness, ignorance and heresy.

Civilization is a progress from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity toward a definite, coherent heterogeneity.

It was very relaxing to be away from civilization, and this bothered me. I should not have found the loneliness so welcoming.

Since the same human mire remains beneath, does not all civilization reduce itself to the superiority of smelling nice and living well?

Speech is civilization itself.

Sex-appeal is the keynote of our whole civilization.

The sum of the whole matter is this – our civilization cannot survive materially unless it be redeemed spiritually.

There is so much that must be done in a civilized barbarism like war.