I think black Americans expect too much from individual black Americans in terms of changing the status quo.

I got all A's and was hated for it; I spoke correctly and was called a punk.

You got guys now declaring they're ready to play pro ball in their second or third year of high school. It's crazy! They're missing so much.

I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice.

With 300 million people in America, you can fail to impress 299 million of them and still go platinum.

All the courage and competitiveness of Jackie Robinson affects me to this day. If I patterned my life after anyone it was him, not because he was the first black baseball player in the majors but because he was a hero.

I have always thought that writers come with any variety of attributes. Some are capable and some aren't.