Better, Not Bitter Quotes

“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

“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

“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