Quotes from Bebe Moore Campbell

People of color, particularly African Americans, feel the stigma more keenly. In a race-conscious society, some don't want to be perceived as having yet another deficit.

You live your life between your ears.

African-Americans know about racism, but I don't think we really know the causes. I decided it's first of all a family problem.

Race, redemption and healing - that's my thing.

My color is my joy and not my burden...

the important thing is not to point a finger at flaws but to attempt to correct them!

the shame is in not improving when you have the opportunity!

Forgiveness is the key to the recovery of the soul.

A child's death isn't always necessary for a mother to grieve.

His eyesight wasn't as keen as it had been, but he knew a changing mind when he saw it.

people come into each other's lives for a reason. If it's not clear in the beginning, all you have to do is keep on living.

A setback is just a setup for a comeback.

In all his imaginings, he had never envisioned her crying. He knew that her son had died, but he'd never expected that her pain might be anything he could recognize, almost as though he believed that Negroes had their own special kind of grieving ritual, another language, something other than tears they used to express their sadness.

When we finally stop asking America to love us and begin to love ourselves, we will prosper as a people.

I have to entertain, because if I don't entertain you, you're not going to continue reading. But if I'm not out to enlighten, or change your mind about something, or change your behavior, then I really don't want to take the journey.

I had an agent who spent eight years - eight years! - trying to sell my stories. She sold other people's work; she just didn't sell mine.

I would get up at 3 in the morning and write. Or sometimes I would write at midnight. Or I would write when my child napped. It wasn't a burden. I was so enthused about what I was doing at the time that I really didn't mind.

As I grow older, part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration instead of passively waiting for it to find me.

To me, there's no point in writing merely to entertain.

Forgiveness is the key to the recovery of the soul.