Maria Nhambu Quotes That Will Inspire You to Live Your Best Life

1. 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? America's Daughter

2. Haven’t I always said that no amount of beating, ridicule, or degradation could change your beauty, inside or out? America's Daughter

3. 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. America's Daughter

4. 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. America's Daughter

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

6. 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. America's Daughter

7. Standing up for your human rights is what you must always do. America's Daughter

8. There is no such thing as immunity from the joy or pain of the past. America's Daughter

9. To them I was first a Black, then a Black from another country, and then a person. America's Daughter

10. 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. America's Daughter

11. When my depression turned to anger, I knew I was on the way to recovery. America's Daughter

12. With tears of joy, I recalled Fat Mary’s role in my childhood. She had been my consoler and counselor since the day I understood I was alone in the world and had no one who loved me or wanted me. I had decided back then that I would love me, fat me, just as I was. Her role was also to safeguard the meaningful and happy moments of my childhood and bring them to me when I needed to remember life’s goodness. America's Daughter