The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people.

Try to just be true to ourselves, whoever we are, but willing to grow, even as we're true to ourselves.

To be great in our times too often means to have great prosperity and no moral magnanimity at all.

American mainstream is obsessed with black creative genius - be it music, walk, style - but at the same time puts a low priority on the black social misery which is the very context out of which that creativity flows.

Death is always a constant possibility and probability and of course an inevitability, as well.

I think we must never, ever demonize one another. That's true not just black people to black people; that's human being to human being.

I certainly support the right of the gay brothers and sisters to come together. I believe true love can take a number of different forms. If they choose to be married that's fine, but the important thing is I hope they find love