Nothing will work unless you do. - Maya Angelou

"I speak to the Black experience, but I am always talking about the human condition--about what we can endure, dream, fail at and survive."

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass."