I Have Respect For The Past, But

My People Had Used Music To Soothe Slavery's Torment Or To Propitiate God, Or To Describe The Sweetness Of Love And The Distress Of Lovelessness, But I Knew No Race Could Sing And Dance Its Way To Freedom.

But Still, Like Air, I'll Rise

We Do The Best We Can With What We Know, And When We Know Better, We Do Better.

I Want To Be A Good Human Being. I'm Doing My Best, And I'm Working At It.

Be Certain That You Do Not Die Without Having Done Something Wonderful For Humanity.