"I am a firm believer in the power of self-improvement."

"You might say that I was the first and caused others to awaken to the sense of their duty in helping deserving causes for the benefit of the race."

"I want to be a monument to the possibilities of Negro women."

"I am not afraid to work. I have always been a worker."

"I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there, I was promoted to the washtub. From there, I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there, I promoted myself into the busines…"