"Testimony is an integral part of the Black religious tradition. It is the occasion where the believer stands before the community of faith in order to give account of the hope that is in him or her"

"Hope is nature's veil for hiding truth's nakedness"

"A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm"

"To separate children from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone"

"Love, hope, fear, faith - these make humanity; These are its sign and note and character"

"He who despairs of the human condition is a coward, but he who has hope for it is a fool"

"Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity"

"Creating the kind of connections between people that lead to collective civic action, political expression, community dialogue, shared cultural experiences"

"Poets have said that the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality. Immortality? Now that I have five children, my only hope is that they are all out of the house before I die"

"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us"

"If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes"