Ruby Dee

A nation's youths shouldn't be sent off to die.

Marriage is really an exciting adventure.

The white actresses I have known have been allowed to do 10 times more than I shall ever do.

Black History Month is fine, but we need more months of the year to celebrate all the people on this earth. After all, we're all creatures of the same God.

I never remember, like, saying, 'Well, I'm going to belong - join the civil rights movement.'

Well, I didn't grow up with that word 'retirement' as part of my consciousness. I didn't grow up with professionals that retired. I thought retiring was when you are tired and go to bed.

You can only appreciate freedom when you find yourself in a position to fight for someone else's freedom and not worry about your own.

Just staying together is not a real virtue, if you're not happy. Or you're being denied. Or one person is being squashed. Or you really don't love each other; you're just there out of habit. That doesn't work, no matter how many years you stay together.

I learned that having great sensitivity is important. But being strong is just as important.

Before I latched onto the concept of stereotypes, not once did I reckon with the fact that I would never be a 'Hollywood starlet.'

Black filmmakers - I'm grateful for them.

I didn't realize it until I was grown how necessary it is for good people to be tough.