Our society is driven today by so much ethnic discord. We have Black Lives Matter, which I praise and celebrate. We have the demagogues stereotyping Muslims and resurrecting racist stereotypes they used to visit on us. The larger goal is to show that we are all the same, we all come from Africa, and we all have the same larger family tree. It's about the fundamental unity of the human community.

I don't think the riots derailed the civil rights movement.

Ever since I watched 'Roots,' I've dreamed of tracing my African ancestry and helping other people do the same.

I have no plans to slow down.

So many people of color who made major contributions to American history have been trapped in the purgatory of history.

Color categories are on steroids in Latin America. I find that fascinating. It's very difficult for Americans, particularly African-Americans to understand or sympathize with.

I'm a tech geek. Whenever I read about something new, I think to myself, How can I take this and make it black?