14 Bernice Johnson Reagon Quotes for You to Enjoy

Bernice Johnson Reagon

American Musician

Born: Oct 4, 1942

First People Rights Think Time You

Related authors: Bob Dylan Dolly Parton Frank Sinatra Juice Wrld Kanye West Lil Peep Nipsey Hussle YoungBoy Never Broke Again

Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Life You Challenges Paralyze Supposed Discover Help Who

When the culture is strong, you've got this consistency where black people can grow up in these places with this voice just resonating about our special-ness in the universe. And I always say you're in trouble if you get too far away from that core that grounds you. Bernice Johnson Reagon

You Culture People Strong Consistency Black Trouble Universe Too Resonating Our Say About Voice Always Got Up Get Just Where Places Far Far Away Grounds Grow Grow Up Away Core

Well, the first time I ran into the term religion, people were asking whether you had any. You know, some people had religion and some people didn't have religion. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Time Religion You People Some People First Ran Some Had Term Know Well First Time Were Any Whether Asking

And I used to think that proof that I had religion was whether I knew how to sing all of the songs. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Religion Think Proof Had Songs Knew Sing How Whether Used

At the same time all this was happening, there was a folk song revival movement goingon, so the commercial music industry was actually changed by the Civil Rights Movement. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Music Time Rights Song Changed Music Industry Rights Movement Folk Civil Civil Rights Civil Rights Movement Industry Revival Commercial Same Same Time Movement Happening Actually

Personally I discovered that you could go through the academy as a young scholar, come out, and almost immediately have an impact on the academic environment. Bernice Johnson Reagon

You Young Immediately Out Impact Could Through Scholar Environment Almost Come Academic Academy Go Discovered Personally

If I had been at a University I don't think I would have been able to have the experience I had in my Smithsonian work. I don't think I have been as successful. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Work Experience Think Would Able Had Smithsonian Been Successful University

I started graduate school in 1971, I started working at the Smithsonian in the festival in 1972. I went full-time at the Smithsonian in 1974. And I got my doctorate in 1975. Bernice Johnson Reagon

School Doctorate Smithsonian Got Festival Graduate Graduate School Working Full-Time Started

I just don't think one person has that much to contribute to any subject. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Think Subject Contribute Person Any Just Much

I organized Sweet Honey In The Rock in 1973. The music was sanity and balance. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Music Balance Sweet Honey Rock Sanity Organized

In fact when Sweet Honey was ten years old it was too big for me to run, and I knew it, but I ran it for another thirteen years because I couldn't convince other people to really do it. And this year, I'm not running it. Bernice Johnson Reagon

The voice I have now, I got the first time I sang in a movement meeting, after I got out of jail... and I'd never heard it before in my life. Bernice Johnson Reagon

Life Time My Life First Before Meeting Out Voice Never First Time Got Heard Jail Movement After Sang Now

Bernice Johnson Reagon Quotes

No more Bernice Johnson Reagon quotes