Just look at the cinema itself: It's comprised of lots of movies about graphic novels, and if you're not 20 years old and wearing a cape and a mask and white, you're out of business. Today's cinema is a proliferation of comedies, which are in some ways creating caricature images. They're one-dimensional.

One of the main purveyors of violence in this world has been this country America.

It's also important for those who promote those issues within the white community - the somewhat privileged community - to talk about issues affecting people of color.

Remember, we're talking [in The Black Power Mixtape] about 1967, the year before [Martin Luther] King's assassination. We're talking about the emergence of black power, which is a discussion King mentioned in his last book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? We're talking about the meaning of black power and the possibility that it alienated our supporters, both white and black.

When someone you know passes on, the only thing you can do is keep moving forward.

I was able to do The Saint of Fort Washington, on the relationship between two homeless men.

What he [Barack Obama] does to change the world - that's what's important.