Toni Morrison

wanna fly give up shit weigh

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

definitions belong definers defined

“Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.”

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

nothing say why how

“There is really nothing more to say-except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.”

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

paradise utopia design allow

“All paradises, all utopias are designed by who is not there, by the people who are not allowed in."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

anger reality presence worth surge

“Anger is better. There is a sense of being in anger. A reality and presence. An awareness of worth. It is a lovely surging.”

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

water memory

“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

unwed mother black poor morality money

“I don't think anybody cares about unwed mothers unless they're black or poor. The question is not morality, the question is money. That's what we're upset about.”

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

time despair self-pity speak write civilization heal

"There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

race racism human scientifically anthropology social construct

"There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race -- scientifically, anthropologically. Racism is a construct, a social construct... it has a social function, racism."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

freedom responsibility choose

"Freedom is choosing your responsibility. It's not having no responsibilities; it's choosing the ones you want."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

black people music class best giants

"Black people's music is in a class by itself and always has been. There's nothing like it. The reason for that is because it was not tampered with by white people. It was not on the media. It was not anywhere except where black people were. And it is one of the art forms in which black people decided what is good in it. Nobody told them. What surfaced and what floated to the top, were the giants and the best."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

parent raise child village

"I don't think one parent can raise a child. I don't think two parents can raise a child. You really need the whole village."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

passion skill enough

"Passion is never enough; neither is skill."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

position trust power dream think

"As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

work careful between words measure rhythm power

"One has to work very carefully with what is in between the words. What is not said. Which is measure, which is rhythm and so on. So, it is what you don't write that frequently gives what you do write its power."

― Toni Morrison (1931-2019)