[My father] could see as far as he could see and my mother wanted us to go to college so it was a very real part of my life.

It's important for us to tell our stories.

At the end of the day, it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished. It's about what you've done with those accomplishments. Its about who you've lifted up, who you've made better. It about what you've given back" (23).

Got to be who you are in this world, no matter what.

Success? I don't know what that word means. I'm happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody's eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That's a good day for me.

By the way, sitting with other mommies is probably the most frightening experience in the entire world. They're serious into mommy-shaming.

I even asked [Saniyya Sidney] why she wanted to be an actor and she said, "I'm serious about this. These other little kids they want to play, and I don't have time for that."