The American Negro never can be blamed for his racial animosities - he is only reacting to 400 years of the conscious racism of the American whites.

You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.

You can't hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree.

Concerning non-violence: it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.

My father didn't know his real name. My father got his name from his grandfather and he got his name from his grandfather and he got it from the slave master.

It's hard for anyone intelligent to be nonviolent. Everything in the universe does something when you start playing with his life, except the American Negro. He lays down and says, 'Beat me, daddy.'