“IT’S A TRUTH universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it’s a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up. But it’s not just the junky stuff they’ll get rid of. People can be thrown away too, like last night’s trash left out on sidewalks or pushed to the edge of wherever all broken things go. What those rich people don’t always know is that broken and forgotten neighborhoods were first built out of love.”
―
Ibi Zoboi,
Pride
“We’re not gonna throw away the past as if it meant nothing. See? That’s what happens to whole neighborhoods. We built something, it was messy, but we’re not gonna throw it away.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“If hot red is for anger and rage, pink is the color of a soft burning – hot enough to light up the dark corners of sadness and grief, but cool enough to be tender, innocent, open.” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“Don't ever stop dreaming bigBut for now, put that dream on paperIt's easier to carry around” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“We werea mob a gang ghetto a pack of wolves animals thugs hoodlums men They werekids having fun home loved supported protected full of potential boys” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“So trying to come to America from the wrong country is a crime?” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“Sometimes love is not enough to keep a community together. There needs to be something more tangible, like fair housing, opportunities, and access to resources. Lifeboats and lifelines are not supposed to just be a way for us to get out. They should be ways to let us stay in and survive. And thrive.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Because the thing about sharp corners is, the right turns can bring you back home.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Every book is a different hood, a different country, a different world. Reading is how I visit places and people and ideas. And when something rings true or if I still have a question, I outline it with a bright yellow highlighter so that it’s lit up in my mind, like a lightbulb or a torch leading the way to somewhere new.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Don't give me no 'but you're beautiful on the inside' bullshit.""No, you are beautiful on the outside," I say."Don't give me that bullshit either. I'm beautiful when I say I'm beautiful. Let me own that shit," she says. Her eyes have not left the computer screen this whole time, but I know she's paying attention to everything I say."Okay, then you are ugly.""Thanks for being honest.""Seriously. That's what we say in Haiti. 'Nou led, men nou la.' We are ugly, but we are here.""We are ugly, but we are here," she says, almost whispering. "I hear that.” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“The only way to survive hell is to walk through” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“Blind Justice II All because we were in the wrong place we were in the wrong skins we were in the wrong time we were in the wrong bodies we were in the wrong country we were in the wrong were in the wrong in the wrong the wrong wrong All because they were in the right place they were in the right skins they were in the right time they were in the right bodies they were” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“school teaches you what to thinknot how to think and nobody raisestheir hands except to givethe right answer” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“never let the streets know when you’re upset. Don’t let any strangers see you cry. Hold your head up and look as if you’re ready to destroy the world if you have to.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix
“English requires two mouths to speakand four ears to understand” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“My lips are sealedbut my words have a life of their ownEven if they're locked upthey'll bounce off three walls and slip betweenmetal bars” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“Ah, mija! There you go! Rivers flow. A body of water that remains stagnant is just a cesspool, mi amor! It’s time to move, flow, grow. That is the nature of rivers. That is the nature of love!” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix
“We have more space and less time. And the love we had for our whole neighborhood now only fits into this wood-frame house in the middle of a quiet block. We don't know the people who live across the street or on either side of us.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Say it just like that. Let the words slide out and don’t be so uptight about it. It’s just English, not too complicated.” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“We’re not gonna throw away the past as if it meant nothing. See? That’s what happens to whole neighborhoods. We built something, it was messy, but we’re not gonna throw it away.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“If hot red is for anger and rage, pink is the color of a soft burning – hot enough to light up the dark corners of sadness and grief, but cool enough to be tender, innocent, open.” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“Don't ever stop dreaming bigBut for now, put that dream on paperIt's easier to carry around” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“We werea mob a gang ghetto a pack of wolves animals thugs hoodlums men They werekids having fun home loved supported protected full of potential boys” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“So trying to come to America from the wrong country is a crime?” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“Sometimes love is not enough to keep a community together. There needs to be something more tangible, like fair housing, opportunities, and access to resources. Lifeboats and lifelines are not supposed to just be a way for us to get out. They should be ways to let us stay in and survive. And thrive.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Because the thing about sharp corners is, the right turns can bring you back home.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Every book is a different hood, a different country, a different world. Reading is how I visit places and people and ideas. And when something rings true or if I still have a question, I outline it with a bright yellow highlighter so that it’s lit up in my mind, like a lightbulb or a torch leading the way to somewhere new.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Don't give me no 'but you're beautiful on the inside' bullshit.""No, you are beautiful on the outside," I say."Don't give me that bullshit either. I'm beautiful when I say I'm beautiful. Let me own that shit," she says. Her eyes have not left the computer screen this whole time, but I know she's paying attention to everything I say."Okay, then you are ugly.""Thanks for being honest.""Seriously. That's what we say in Haiti. 'Nou led, men nou la.' We are ugly, but we are here.""We are ugly, but we are here," she says, almost whispering. "I hear that.” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
“The only way to survive hell is to walk through” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“Blind Justice II All because we were in the wrong place we were in the wrong skins we were in the wrong time we were in the wrong bodies we were in the wrong country we were in the wrong were in the wrong in the wrong the wrong wrong All because they were in the right place they were in the right skins they were in the right time they were in the right bodies they were” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“school teaches you what to thinknot how to think and nobody raisestheir hands except to givethe right answer” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“never let the streets know when you’re upset. Don’t let any strangers see you cry. Hold your head up and look as if you’re ready to destroy the world if you have to.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix
“English requires two mouths to speakand four ears to understand” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“My lips are sealedbut my words have a life of their ownEven if they're locked upthey'll bounce off three walls and slip betweenmetal bars” ― Ibi Zoboi, Punching the Air
“Ah, mija! There you go! Rivers flow. A body of water that remains stagnant is just a cesspool, mi amor! It’s time to move, flow, grow. That is the nature of rivers. That is the nature of love!” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix
“We have more space and less time. And the love we had for our whole neighborhood now only fits into this wood-frame house in the middle of a quiet block. We don't know the people who live across the street or on either side of us.” ― Ibi Zoboi, Pride
“Say it just like that. Let the words slide out and don’t be so uptight about it. It’s just English, not too complicated.” ― Ibi Zoboi, American Street
