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Dr. Maya Angelou on How Negative Words "Go Into Your Very Body"

Aired on 07/13/1993 | CC tv-pg
When racist words are spoken, they don't disappear into the ether. They seep into our surroundings and, ultimately, our bodies, says Dr. Maya Angelou, the compassionate writer and teacher.

"I believe that words are things," she told Oprah in an intimate conversation in the author's home. "Someday we'll be able to know and measure—as mad as it sounds—we'll be able to measure the hostility or the kindness that emanates from certain words that people exude when they say certain things."

Watch for yourself and soak in her world-changing wisdom.

Original airdate: September 13, 1993

Watch more historical moments involving race relations and Civil Rights from The Oprah Show's 25-year run.