#ay

We live in a world where sports have the potential to bridge the gap between racism, sexism and discrimination. The 2012 Olympic Games was a great start but hopefully what these games taught us is that if women are given an opportunity on an equal playing field the possibilities for women are endless. ↗

— Jackie Joyner-Kersee

#bridge #discrimination #endless #equal #field

When I was in elementary school, we weren't allowed to do sports other than cheerleading. By junior high, they let us play, but we had to come back after 6:30 p.m. to practice because there was only one gymnasium and the boys used it first. ↗

— Jackie Joyner-Kersee

#allowed #back #because #come #elementary

Winning is great, but being able to finish my last Olympic Games on American soil was very important. Even though I was injured, I didn't let my psyche get the best of me and cause me to doubt myself, so I was willing to pull every muscle in my body in '96 in order to get the job done and I came away with the bronze medal. ↗

— Jackie Joyner-Kersee

#american #away #being #best #body

I was constantly being pushed toward a European ideal of what it means to be a classical or opera singer, let's say in the Renata Tebaldi mode. I reject that. ↗

— Renee Fleming

#classical #constantly #european #i #ideal

I've never looked at myself and said that I need to be a certain way to be around a certain sort of people. I've always wanted to stay true to myself, and I've managed to do that. People have to accept that. ↗

— Jay-Z

#always #around #certain #certain way #i

Racism is taught in the home. We agree on that? Well, it's very hard to teach racism to a teenager who's listening to rap music and who idolizes, say, Snoop Dogg. It's hard to say, 'That guy is less than you.' The kid is like, 'I like that guy, he's cool. How is he less than me? ↗

— Jay-Z

#cool #guy #hard #home #how

Do not make best friends with a melancholy sad soul. They always are heavily loaded, and you must bear half. ↗

— Francois Fenelon

#bear #best #friends #half #heavily

I'm hungry for knowledge. The whole thing is to learn every day, to get brighter and brighter. That's what this world is about. You look at someone like Gandhi, and he glowed. Martin Luther King glowed. Muhammad Ali glows. I think that's from being bright all the time, and trying to be brighter. ↗

— Jay-Z

#ali #being #bright #brighter #day

My thing is related to who I am as a person. The clothes are an extension of me. The music is an extension of me. All my businesses are part of the culture, so I have to stay true to whatever I'm feeling at the time, whatever direction I'm heading in. And hopefully, everyone follows. ↗

— Jay-Z

#businesses #clothes #culture #direction #everyone

It was a weird mix of emotions. One day, your best friend could be killed. The day before, you could be celebrating him getting a brand-new bike. ↗

— Jay-Z

#best #best friend #bike #brand-new #celebrating