I Am Black Because I

I Have A Duty To Speak The Truth As I See It And Share Not Just My Triumphs, Not Just The Things That Felt Good, But The Pain, The Intense, Often Unmitigated Pain. It Is Important To Share How I Know Survival Is Survival And Not Just A Walk Throught The Rain.

Silence Has Never Brought Us Anything Of Worth.

It Does Not Pay To Cherish Symbols When The Substance Lies So Close At Hand.

If You Don’t Define Yourself For Yourself Then You Will Be Crushed Into Other's Fantasies Of You And Eaten Alive

I Learned To Read From Mrs. Augusta Baker, The Children's Librarian. ... If That Was The Only Good Deed That Lady Ever Did In Her Life, May She Rest In Peace. Because That Deed Saved My Life, If Not Sooner, Then Later, When Sometimes The Only Thing I Had To Hold On To Was Knowing I Could Read.