The first eight years of schooling was with all white people. So that helped me to understand how white people think. I think that transition is what helped me bridge the gap, because that's what my success has really been about: bridging the gap between the black community and the white community.

I love being black in America, and especially being black in Hollywood.

The big thing I tell my kids is you have to control how you label things. It's very important to me they understand the power they have to create the lives that they want.

Can I say something? Um, I'm the type of person that if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I'm gonna tell you that I don't know. But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer and I will find the answer.

You can't break poor people mentality. Once you grow up poor, you don't take anything for granted. It can have the negative side also because you can never truly be relaxed.

Hurry up and write your number down before I don't want it no more.

Being realistic is the quickest path to mediocrity