I think art is a healing force, and if we give in to the joy that can be found in art, then we are able to sustain ourselves in spite of ourselves.
Ntozake ShangeRead
I write for young girls of color, for girls who don’t even exist yet, so that there is something there for them when they arrive. I can only change how they live, not how they think.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of representation in literature for young girls of color.
Ntozake Shange's quote highlights her dedication to empowering young girls of color through her writing, ensuring that future generations have relatable narratives that reflect their experiences. She recognizes that while she can influence their environment and opportunities, the way they think and perceive the world is a more complex and personal journey that ultimately lies in their hands.
In practice
In a speech at a literary festival, one could quote Shange to discuss the importance of diverse voices in children's literature.
I think art is a healing force, and if we give in to the joy that can be found in art, then we are able to sustain ourselves in spite of ourselves.
Where there is a woman there is magic. If there is a moon falling from her mouth, she is a woman who knows her magic, who can share or not share her powers. A woman with a moon falling from her mouth, roses between her legs and tiaras of Spanish moss, this woman is a consort of the spirits.
i usedta live in the world really be in the world free & sweet talkin good mornin & thank-you & nice day uh huh i cant now i cant be nice to nobody nice is such a rip-off regular beauty & a smile in the street is just a set-up
one thing I don’t need is any more apologies i got sorry greetin me at my front door you can keep yrs i don’t know what to do wit em they don’t open doors or bring the sun back they don’t make me happy or get a mornin paper didn’t nobody stop usin my tears to wash cars cuz a sorry.
The slaves who were ourselves had known terror intimately, confused sunrise with pain, & accepted indifference as kindness.
It still amazes and fascinates me that women of color have kept my work alive for these many generations.
Children are wonderfully confident in their own imaginations. Most of us lose this confidence as we grow up.
It is much simpler to buy books than to read them and easier to read them than to absorb their contents.
Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.
... there is no valid teaching from which there does not emerge something learned and through which the learner does not become capable of recreating and remaking what has been taught.
What if you love knowledge for its own sake, not necessarily as a blueprint to action? What if you wish there were more, not fewer reflective types in the world?
I wanted to be the exception to the other kids, but in the right way._x000D_ _x000D_ We have a lot of suffering in our part of the world, but that suffering is, in a way, a blessing. _x000D_ _x000D_ Obviously, I could not afford to go to school without a scholarship, so that meant I had to excel in order to get one.
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