Lena Horne

“Don't be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it's just death.”

“I want to sing like Aretha Franklin. Before her I wanted the technical ability of Ella Fitzgerald.”

“Malcolm X raised my consciousness about myself and my people and other people more than any person I know. I knew him before he became Malcolm X.”

“I told them I belong to the same organizations and clubs Mrs. Roosevelt belongs to, but with a few brave exceptions, I was still unable to do films or television for the next seven years.”

“Malcolm X made me very strong at a time I needed to understand what I was angry about. He had peace in his heart. He exerted a big influence on me.”

“I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were.”

“Every color I can think of and nationality, we were all touched by Dr. King because he made us like each other and respect each other.”

“It's so nice to get flowers while you can still smell the fragrance.”

“Always be smarter than the people who hire you.”

“I don't have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I'd become. I'm me, and I'm like nobody else.”

“I made a promise to myself to be kinder to other people.”