Prophetic pragmatism attempts to keep alive the sense of alternative ways of life and of struggle based on the best of the past. In this sense, the praxis of prophetic pragmatism is tragic action with revolutionary intent, usually reformist consequences and always visionary outlook.

You're trying to just leave the world a little better.

But black folks have never really been optimists. We've been prisoners of hope, and hope is qualitatively different from optimism in the way that there's a difference between The Blues and Lawrence Welk. The Blues and Jazz have to do with hope while the other is sugarcoated music which has to do with sentimental optimism.

A rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it.

We've been talking about this for a good while, the immorality of drones, dropping bombs on innocent people. It's been over 200 children so far. These are war crimes.

One is that I am a regular, everyday person, you know what I mean. I feel that wherever I am, I really am.

Reelection ought not to be the primary preoccupation of any politician. It ought to be standing up for truth and justice.