Yusef Salaam > Quotes

“When you find yourself in dark places, there's always a light somewhere in that darkness, and even if that light is inside of you, you can illuminate your own darkness by shedding that light on the world.”
― Yusef Salaam, Punching the Air

“And maybe
there are small
cracks in our walls
and we start to see
a sliver of light
shine through

in each other”
― Yusef Salaam, Punching the Air

“I struggle with calling my mother a superhero, not because she isn't one, but after all that she's lived through, she deserves to be able to rest. Black women are often saddled with the "strong Black woman" trope, and it can undermine their humanity. We have tasked Black women with the pressure to play this part of the superwoman, a protective measure in order to cope with the constant stressors of racial discrimination. Yes, they are resilient. Yes, they seem to come to the aid of the whole world. But Black women cry. They feel. They grieve. They hurt. They deserve their own healing. My mother deserves her healing.”
― Yusef Salaam, Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice

“There will never be a moment when you say, “Okay, fine, that was good. I’m finished. All healed.” No, tomorrow you might need to talk about it again, to heal a little more. Be okay with the time it takes. There’s no need to rush it. What’s for you is for you.”
― Yusef Salaam, Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice

“No matter what life has taken you through...try to live full and die empty.”
― Yusef Salaam, Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice

“It's not a matter of whether you fall in life, because you will fall. When you fall try to land on your back, because if you can look up you can get up.”
― Yusef Salaam, Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice