New York has been the best gift, in that the city pushes me to so many next levels.

I work in comedy, journalism, media, and technology, many of which don't have a lot of black faces in visible positions. I walk through Brooklyn with a surfboard. It's fun to challenge and expand people's expectations.

Mostly I try to be the best example of me that I can be.

You can call me namastunde or surfatunde. Either works.

There are so many ways to be and to be black at the same time, but we're finally seeing that full range expressed much more widely than before.

2010 Foursquare Mayor Of The Year

My family life and early political life - being exposed to the news constantly, being enrolled in an Afrocentric education program, and doing the extracurriculars I did - played a huge role in me finding my path.