True Life Events Quotes

“As puzzled as I was by my classmates’ assumptions, their classification of me as a Black American nonetheless comforted me. Could it be that now, finally, I had my own group to belong to? Would Black Americans claim me just because the whites assigned me to them?”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“In your heart, you will always be African, but in America you are a Black American. It is possible and desirable to be both.”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“It is not about forgetting but about not letting the past define you. It is about learning from it and embracing its role as your lifetime teacher.”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“Haven’t I always said that no amount of beating, ridicule, or degradation could change your beauty, inside or out?”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“In their hearts, they know that we are all created equal in the eyes of God and the universe. Whoever thinks otherwise will never be happy.”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“What was wrong with these American students? Didn’t they know I was the teacher and they had to do as I said? I learned quickly that my authority meant little, if anything, to them. I was not the all-powerful and feared mwalimu (teacher) of Africa.”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“I was suffering from a profound disease called culture shock and a severe case of homesickness. My brain was exhausted trying to figure out a lifestyle and living standards that everyone took for granted and few bothered to explain.”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter

“Standing up for your human rights is what you must always do.”
― Maria Nhambu, America's Daughter