As a young woman, I attended Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, which was then not segregated. But I witnessed the weight of Apartheid everywhere around me.

I mention my age because I find people in this country - women, not men, of course - women are so troubled by their age. There's a culture of youth, and it's a phony culture.

There is a value in taking a stand whether or not anybody may be noticing it, and whether or not it is a risky thing to do.

I hope it will come as no surprise that I have something to say.

Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes.

When you're threatened, or something hard hits you, acknowledge it, embrace it. Don't pretend that you didn't get hurt - hurt, cry, think about it. And then you let it go and try something else.

My roots are African. The birds I remember, the fruits I ate, the trees I climbed, they're African.

My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called 'opinionated' is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish. My only hope is that, one day soon, women who have all earned the right to their opinions -- instead of being called 'opinionated' will be called smart and well-informed, just like men.

I'm more old-fashioned than a lot of women...I don't view abortion as just a nothing. It is stopping the process of life.

You can call me Mama T anytime.