Malcolm X made me very strong at a time I needed to understand what I was angry about. He had peace in his heart. He exerted a big influence on me.

Always be smarter than the people who hire you.

Don't be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it's just death.

music became my refuge and then my salvation.

I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were.

I made a promise to myself to be kinder to other people.

Nobody black or white who really believes in democracy can stand aside now; everybody's got to stand up and be counted.