"I never had a dollar to start with, but I had plenty of grit."

"I have made my money by working hard and by using my brains."

"I had to go to work to help my mother support the family. I was a child of the Reconstruction period."

"I believe in giving back to the community that has supported me."

"My object in life is not simply to make money for myself, but to use my money and influence for the uplift of my race."