A more humane form of capitalism is about the best I think we can get. Which might sound very reformist or conservative, but that's basically where I am.

In America there is institutional racism that we all inherit and participate in, like breathing the air in this room - and we have to become sensitive to it.

The story of the African-American people is the story of the settlement and growth of America itself, a universal tale that all people should experience.

The first step toward tolerance is respect and the first step toward respect is knowledge.

The thing about black history is that the truth is so much more complex than anything you could make up.

In Ethiopia, the black people became Christians 1700 years ago, hundreds of years before Northern Europe turned to Christianity... And here, most of the saints are black.

We can revolutionize the attitude of inner city brown and black kids to learning. We need a civil rights movement within the African-American community.

I want to be a figure for prison reform. I think that the criminal justice system is rotten.

Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.

Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost, buried.

Well, certainly one of the ironies of the success of affirmative action is that the middle class within the black community no longer lives within 'black community' by and large.

I'd love to live forever except the person that made this game board has a tendency to occasionally knock some pieces off

Do what you love, and you'll always love what you do

Being a publicist is like management in a lot of ways - you're their friend, you're their mother, you're their confidante.

My best attribute is knowing when not to answer stupid questions

Never throw mud. You may miss the mark, and you'll have dirty hands.

We are not here to fix, change or belittle another person. We are here to support, forgive and heal one another.

We are asleep people, unconscious people, and this is what is serious. Unfortunately, we think the best of ourselves and not even suspect that we are asleep.

Most of teachers have but one object, viz. to draw their salary. I do not think that a teacher should have no salary. But I think they should earn it first and then think of it.

Any leaders who disappoint the people, ideals and promises by which they were appointed are by definition themselves dis-appointed.

I can like something. You can like something. It's not an absolute.