Quotes about Individuality

I want to feel what I feel. What's mine. Even if it's not happiness, whatever that means. Because you're all you've got.

The narrower their lives, the wider their hips.

Look to yourself. You free. Nothing and nobody is obliged to save you but you. Seek your own land. You young and a woman and there's serious limitation in both, but you are a person too. Don't let Lenore or some trifling boyfriend and certainly no devil doctor decide who you are. That's slavery. Somewhere inside you is that free person I'm talking about. Locate her and let her do some good in the world.

Her color is a cross she will always carry.

Pauline, what would you do if your own brother had a party and didn't invite you?' I said ifn I really wanted to go to that party, I reckoned I'd go anyhow. Never mind what he want. She just sucked her teeth a little and made out like what I said was dumb. All the while I was thinking how dumb she was. Whoever told her that her brother was her friend? Folks can't like folks just 'cause they has the same mama.

Whatever's burning in me is mine

Pauline felt uncomfortable with the few black women she met. They were amused by her because she did not straighten her hair. When she tried to make up her face as they did, it came off rather badly. Their goading glances and private snickers at her way of talking (saying "chil'ren") and dressing developed in her a desire for new clothes.

Navigating a white male world was not threatening. It wasn't even interesting. I was more interesting than they were.

What are you? Some kinda mermaid?" one man had shouted, and reached hurriedly for his socks.

The brothers approaching the cellar were once identical.

Any man who has to wear another man's name on the back of his shirt may need to ask himself how he views his own manhood.

You don't have to carry a designer bag that costs more than a car to look cool.