We're the most violent nation on earth. There's no getting away from that. But you've got to look at it on a broader level.

You gotta make your own way. You gotta find a way. You gotta get it done. It's hard. It's tough. That's what I tell my students every day in class. I've been very fortunate. Some people might call me a hardhead, but I'm not going to let other people dictate to me who I should be or the stories I should tell. That doesn't register with me.

There's a lot of Americans, black and white, who think that we've arrived where we need to be and nothing else needs to be done and affirmative action needs to be dismantled.

He revolutionized music videos. Before Michael Jackson, MTV refused to play African-American artists.

Our greatness, our talent has never been the question. It's been a matter of grappling for control over what we do.

It gets dangerous when you start allowing people to validate your work.

Power is knowing your past.