Rachel

“Your country? How came it yours? Before the pilgrims landed we were here. Here we have brought our three gifts and mingled them with yours: a gift of story and song - soft, stirring melody in an ill-harmonized and unmelodious land; the gift of sweat and brawn to beat back the wilderness, conquer the soil, and lay the foundations of this vast economic empire two hundred years earlier than your weak hands could have done it; the third, a gift of the Spirit. Around us the history of the land has centred for thrice a hundred years; out of the nation's heart we have called all that was best to throttle and subdue all that was worst.”
― W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk

“It did not begin as obroni. It began as two words. Abro ni."
"Wicked man?" Akua said.
The fetish man nodded. "Among the Akan he is wicked man, the one who harms. Among the Ewe of the Southeast his name is Cunning Dog, the one who feigns niceness and then bites you".”
― Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing

“This is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold”
― William Carlos Williams

“This is why we are going overseas to study. Who is giving us the money to take the train, and money for tuition? Korea. Why? So that we can acquire strength, knowledge and civilisation, and bring them back with us. So that we can establish a solid foundation for the people's livelihood, based on modern civilisation. Isn't that why?" Hyong-sik pulled his wallet from his vest pocket, and took out a blue train ticket. "This train ticket contains the sweat of those people who are shivering in the rain, including the young man we saw. They are asking us to make sure that they are never put in such a needy position again.”
― Kwang-su Yi, The Heartless