"If growing up is painful for the..." - Quote by Maya Angelou
If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.
More by Maya Angelou
“I respect myself and insist upon it from everybody. And because I do it, I then respect everybody, too.”
“Home is a refuge not only from the world, but a refuge from my worries, my troubles, my concerns. I like beautiful things around me. I like to be beautiful because it delights my eyes and my soul is lifted up.”
“You can't get too high for somebody to bring you down.”
More on Race
“Whenever a big white man picks up a banjo, my cheeks tighten.”
“One of the main things that I read about it that appealed to me was in Islam a man is honored as a human being and not measured by the color of his skin.”
“I can't deny that it will be a historic event for an African-American to become president. And should that happen, all Americans should be proud - not just African-Americans, but all Americans - that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen. It will also not only electrify our country, I think it'll electrify the world.”
More on Identity
“Once I looked in the mirror and decided this is who I am, and I'm not scared of who I am, and I'm not scared that I can't be like you, and I'm good with just doing me, that's when I found myself, as a man.”
“Nothing flatters me more than to have it assumed that I could write prose, unless it be to have it assumed that I once pitched a baseball with distinction.”
“Day 1 -- Still tired from the move. Day 2 -- Everybody talks to me like I'm an idiot.”