"I would suggest that teachers show their students concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify."

"In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story."

"My grandfather and my uncle both died from colorectal cancer, my dad almost died from it and I have the gene for it."

"When I was 17, I worked in a mentoring program in Harlem designed to improve the community. That's when I first gained an appreciation of the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-Americans rose to prominence in American culture. For the first time, they were taken seriously as artists, musicians, writers, athletes, and as political thinkers."

"Anything simple always interests me."

"The worst men often give the best advice."

"Experience is the stern teacher that gives the examination before the lesson. For where clarity resides, peace inevitably follows."

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen."