My father was a certain kind of man - I saw how he treated my mother and his family and how he treated strangers. And I vowed I would never make a film that would not reflect properly on my father's name.

I never had an occasion to question color, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was... a human being.

My father was a tomato farmer. There is the phrase that says he or she worked their fingers to the bone, well, that's my dad. And he was a very good man.

I did not go into the film business to be symbolized as someone else's vision of me.

A good deed here, a good deed there, a good thought here, a good comment there, all added up to my career in one way or another.

A person doesn't have to change who he is to become better.

I couldn't adjust to the racism in Florida. It was so blatant... I had never been so described as Florida described me.