“I saw for the first time the earth’s shape. I could easily see the shores of continents, islands, great rivers, folds of the terrain, large bodies of water. The horizon is dark blue, smoothly turning to black. The feelings which filled me I can express with one word-joy.”

When they saw me in my space suit and the parachute dragging alongside as I walked, they started to back away in fear. I told them, don’t be afraid, I am a Soviet like you, who has descended from space and I must find a telephone to call Moscow!

Looking at the earth from afar you realize it is too small for conflict and just big enough for co-operation.

The Earth is blue, how wonderful. It is amazing.

The path of a cosmonaut is not an easy, triumphant march to glory. You have to get to know the meaning not just of joy but also of grief, before being allowed in the spacecraft cabin.

Circling the earth in the orbital spaceship I marvelled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world!! Let us safeguard and enhance this beauty-not destroy it

When I orbited the Earth in a spaceship, I saw for the first time how beautiful our planet is. Mankind, let us preserve and increase this beauty, and not destroy it!

To be the first to enter the cosmos, to engage, single-handed, in an unprecedented duel with nature-could one dream of anything more?

I am watching the Earth. The visibility is good. I feel well and cheerful. The machine is functioning normally.

I see Earth! It is so beautiful.

If all those people are getting wet to welcome me, surely the least I can do is get wet too!

I could have gone on flying through space forever.

We have to consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit because what was native has been stolen from us, the love of Black women for each other.

I don’t care if you’re black, white, straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, short, tall, fat, skinny, rich or poor. If you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you. Simple as that.

I realize i am black, but id like to be viewed as a person, and that is everybodys wish.

The power of the white world is threatened whenever a black man refuses to accept the white world’s definitions.

A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.

My main fight is for freedom and equality.

When I see the leadership roles black women are taking today I am very encouraged.