Edmonia Lewis

“I have a strong sympathy for all women who have struggled and suffered.”

“One day, I saw a statue of Benjamin Franklin, and I said to myself, 'I can do that kind of work, too.'”

“Sometimes the times were dark and the outlook was lonesome, but where there is a will, there is a way. I pitched in and dug at my work until now I am where I am.”

“There is nothing so beautiful as the free forest. To catch a fish when you are hungry, cut the boughs of a tree, make a fire to roast it, and eat it in the open air, is the greatest of all l...”

“I was practically driven to Rome in order to obtain the opportunities for art culture and to find a social atmosphere where I was not constantly reminded of my color. The land of liberty had...”

“No, I have not a drop of what they call white blood in my veins. My father was a full blooded Negro, and my mother was a full blooded Chippewa.”

“Until I was twelve years old, I led this wandering life, fishing, swimming, and making moccasins.”