A writer-editor-teacher’s quote of the week 195

What they meant when they said it was up to you was don’t be the one to keep your own self down. Find out whatever and whoever it is you want to be and do your level best and you can count on somebody backing you up the best we can even when it’s something ain’t nobody ever heard tell of before. Because folks don’t necessarily have to be able to use all them big dictionary words to understand life. You just go on ahead and let them see you trying and they’ll understand more than you might think. And anytime you don’t believe it all you got to do is get up somewhere and mess up and see if they won’t know it.

— from “Tuskegee” in South to a Very Old Place by Albert Murray

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