Marguerite “Maya” Johnson quotes

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.

The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power.

She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be.

Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives.

Oh, Black known and unknown poets, how often have your auctioned pains sustained us? Who will compute the lonely nights made less lonely by your songs, or the empty pots made less tragic by your tales?

Of all the needs (there are none imaginary) a lonely child has, the one that must be satisfied, if there is going to be hope and a hope of wholeness, is the unshaking need for an unshakable God.

It seemed terribly unfair to have a toothache and a headache and have to bear at the same time the heavy burden of Blackness.

To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision.

At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.

The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance.

I find it interesting that the meanest life, the poorest existence, is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate speed.

I was no longer simply a member of the proud graduating class of 1940; I was a proud member of the wonderful, beautiful Negro race.

During these years in Stamps, I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare. He was my first white love.

we survive in exact relationship to the dedication of our poets (include preachers, musicians and blues singers).

Champion of the world. A Black boy. Some Black mother's son. He was the strongest man in the world.

She comprehended the perversity of life, that in the struggle lies the joy.

The act of rape on an eight-year-old body is a matter of the needle giving because the camel can't. The child gives, because the body can, and the mind of the violator cannot.

My pretty Black brother was my Kingdom Come.

Like most children, I thought if I could face the worst danger voluntarily, and triumph, I would forever have power over it.

If you ask a Negro where he's been, he'll tell you where he's going.

Knowing Momma, I knew that I never knew Momma.

Bailey was the greatest person in my world.

Without willing it, I had gone from being ignorant of being ignorant to being aware of being aware.

I believe most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity of opportunity to be otherwise.

At eleven years old, death is more unreal than frightening.