Quotes About Empowerment

The real revolution is always concerned with the least glamorous stuff. With raising a reading level from second grade to third. With simplifying history and writing it down (or reciting it) for the old folks. With helping illiterates fill out a food-stamps form - for they must eat, revolution or not.

A little love, a little buckshot, that's how I'd say handle yourself.

She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that no is a word the world never learned to say to her.

Let him hear me. If [god] ever listened to poor colored women, the world would be a different place.

When life descends into the pit I must become my own candle Willingly burning myself To light up the darkness Around me.

She got a right to look over the world in whatever company she choose. Just cause I love her don't take away none of her rights.

Pagan At home in the countryside I make the decision to leave your book --overdue at the library-- face up, 'promiscuous' out in the sun. Pagan. I laugh to see this was our religion all along. Hidden even from ourselves taught early not to touch the earth. Years of white gloves straight seamed hose. 'Being good girls.' Scripture like chains. Dogma like flies. Smiles like locks and lies.

You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what.

Do not be like cows grazing watching the butcher.

This book is dedicated with tenderness and respect to the blameless vulva

But one thing I do thank her for, for teaching me to learn for myself, by reading and studying and writing a clear hand.

Anyhow, I say, the God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgitful and lowdown. She say, Miss Celie, you better hush. God might hear you. Let 'im hear me, I say. If he ever listened to poor colored women the world would be a different place, I can tell you.

Writing permits me to be more than I am. Writing permits me to experience life as any number of strange creations.

Lord, this is some thick shit Black women must get through.

And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see; or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read. Guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength—in search of my mother's garden, I found my own.

They were women then My mama's generation Husky of voice stout of Step With fists as well as Hands How they battered down Doors And ironed Starched white Shirts How they led Armies Headragged generals Across mined Fields Booby-trapped Ditches To discover books Desks A place for us How they knew what we MUST know Without knowing a page Of it Themselves.

It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you a tree. That's how come I know trees fear man.

But I don't want you to fight 'em until you gits completely fagged so that you turns into a black cracker yourself! For then they bondage over you in complete.

continuing to love with depth and tenderness honors revolution at its highest success.

The world is changing, I said. It is no longer a world just for boys and men.

I also began to understand how alone woman is, because of her body.

the most common way people give up there power is by thinking they don't have any

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking that they don't have any.

Para mí es un misterio que a una mujer tenga que importarle ni un comino lo que la gente pueda pensar de ella.