I Would Like You To Know, I

I Do Not Believe In Mixing Of The Races. You Can Quote Me. I Don't Believe In It, And I Never Have. I've Never Changed. I've Never Changed My Hair. I've Never Changed My Color, I Have Always Been Proud Of Myself, And My Fans Are Proud Of Me For Remaining The Way I've Always Been. I Married A White Man One Time, But He Was A Creep

Slavery Has Never Been Abolished From America's Way Of Thinking.

I Was Not Reluctant To Become A Singer. Singing Has Been An Activity I've Done My Whole Life, Without Thought.

I Applied For A Scholarship To Curtis Institute Of Music In Philadelphia. I Knew I Was Good Enough, But They Turned Me Down. And It Took Me About Six Months To Realize It Was Because I Was Black. I Never Really Got Over That Jolt Of Racism At The Time.

Music Is An Art And Art Has Its Own Rules. And One Of Them Is That You Must Pay More Attention To It Than Anything Else In The World, If You Are Going To Be True To Yourself. And If You Don't Do It - And You Are An Artist - It Punishes You.