"We should not want to think of America as a 'melting pot,' but as a great interracial laboratory where Americans can really begin to build the thing which the rest of the world feels they stand for...that is real democracy."

"Her greatest aim is to bring to her audience the humanness of the Negro wherever he is found."

"She is multi-talented, with a good eye and a real enthusiasm for color and design. This is a natural match for her – it stretches her mind. She’s always learning new things, willing to ask questions and push parameters."

"Vivien keeps reinventing herself."

"I am grateful to be healthy, and to have the time to do it."

"I love everything I do every day. This is really what I should have been doing all my life."

"A jack of all trades, trying to focus on one thing."

"That’s one of the reasons I’ve always been interested in women’s issues. I felt I was cheated out of a job I was capable of doing."

"I have never had to march alone in this period of pretty crushing sadness over the state of our planet. There are so many of us right on the front line, shoulder to shoulder, right here. This is the moment to believe in ourselves."

"My philosophy was always to be of service to the community, I did as much good as I could."

"The stones speak to her."

"I had this giant fire opal a year before I knew what to do with it."

"Designing jewelry is a convergence of all my passions."

"I am certain we all want some of this openness and wildness still here for our great grandchildren—for them, but as important, for the creatures who live here and whose existence as a species is in our hands. We are the last ones who will have this decision to make: what to protect and what to release."

"We who are among the fortunate to live here must shoulder the responsibility to protect the last of this unique ecosystem, not just for us, but for the whole country, and for the future; and all this in the face of climate change."

"I was raised and imbued with the doctrine of “stewardship,” a concept that mandated us to pass forward our spot on this planet in as good or better condition than we received it."

"I tried to be...not hard, but durable."

"Vivien is an amazing artist. She can just look at a piece of fabric and know how it will look when made into drapes or a slipcover."

"As an educator, she was committed to being the change, as most who serve any time in a classroom are."

"Her work in the legislature is expansive and impressive, in that she championed many causes that have impacted the community, the city and the state."

"My presence should be very, very good in terms of balancing out the issues that face us and bringing to bear a kind of representation of equity to all."

"Dr. Brown faced barriers because of her race and because of her gender. Yet she persisted and pursued her dreams as a surgeon, as a teacher, and as a legislator."

"Her background and training as a surgeon, I believe, made her a courageous champion for children, civil rights, and reproductive rights."

"She had been told, You’re a girl, you’re Black, you’re poor, and it just can’t be done. But she persevered, and she succeeded."

"Brown's determination, beliefs, and values helped her to break through barriers in other aspects of her life too."

"I was proud to be a role model, not because I have done so much, but to say to young people that it can be done."

"We have to get out and run with the wolves. We have to join up with Mary Oliver and love the wild swan. But I want you to know that every one of us is absolutely essential."

"For myself, I've come to prefer to work in the shadows and alone."

"When we contemplate the reality of climate change, it’s clear what’s at risk is not just our little piece of the planet, but the planet itself. That is stretching our stewardship capacity beyond all bounds."

"could still be around. And I am. And for a lifetime, I've been driven to try to respond. I find that the question I'm most frequently asked today is whether I have hope; whether I have hope that our planet can survive. And my answer is: wrong question. It's simply a matter of a job to be done. And I would rather fight than watch, as would you."

"I've also always been warned about the possibility of burnout, of thinking we're so essential that we're going to work ourselves into a frenzy and then burn on down into a useless nub. We've always had to learn to pace ourselves. We have to get out and run with the wolves."

"A powerful force in the Memphis Political scene has passed."

"Powerful, visionary, committed, friend. These are all words Kathryn Bowers’ loved ones used to describe her, including Lexie Carter."

"I was devastated because I thought she had more time."

"Although she was of a small stature she was a giant in the legislature."

"No one should be measured by the mistakes that they make. But once Bowers got out she got right back into the game."

"A tireless advocate for women, the poor and underserved."

"I thought I would be able to persue this career withease, but to my dismay - it was literally impossible to break into this field especially being not only female, but a black female."

"Louise Williams Bishop has achieved an incredible degree of personal success in three separate, but related careers -- radio, the ministry and politics. The theme that runs through all her work is her desire to bring inspiration and assistance to those people in need."

"Part of it was not so much to be able to prove everything. Because we don't know that we can prove ... it was to go back to the motherland to see if she could trace where she believes her ancestors came from. Walk the walk that they walked. Go to the places where they might have had to be held."

"Eliminating your right to justice and recourse when you have been harmed by a business or product explicitly contradicts the Republicans’ message of individual freedom and responsibility. Instead, their motto should be: “You’re on your own.” But the deck is stacked against you. In order to protect yourself you will have to be your own lawyer, doctor, and even insurer."

"Our Wisconsin Constitution says it’s the Legislature’s duty to protect the public welfare. That hasn’t stopped Republicans from taking away many of your rights this session, from health and safety protections to your ability to access courts and justice. The Republicans’ mantra should be, in the words of Janis Joplin, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”"

"You feel like you’ve left your footprint and that you’ve made some difference in people’s lives, being helpful. … Sometimes you just have to believe that you can do it."

"Throughout California, Bergeson was known as a trailblazer for female politicians, initiating a wave of women successfully running for public office."

"An inspiration because she came from grass roots, which is where a lot of the women politicians from Orange County come from."

"We all started on local community councils and committees and worked our ways up, and so did Marian. That was her legacy for us – that you start there and achieve your goals all the way to Congress."

"made a difference for the citizens of California that will not soon be forgotten."

"There was never a problem that she didn’t think could be solved with people sitting down and talking it through. And that’s a throwback to a day that isn’t prevalent anymore."

"She also was really influential in not pulling up the ladder once she achieved what she did but instead reaching down and helping other women get elected."

"Throughout her political career, Bergeson kept a passion for improving education and citizens’ access to it."