"When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw."
"A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special."
"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."
"Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."
"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison."
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
"A Nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it's lowest ones"
"One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others."
"A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind."
"As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
"As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility."