When I was growing up, kids used to talk about snitching... It never extended as a cultural norm outside of the gangsters.

When I first found out that Superman wasn't real, I was about maybe eight. And I was talking to my mother about it. And she was like, 'No, no, no. There's no Superman.' And I started crying. I really thought he was coming to rescue us. The chaos, the violence, the danger. No hero was coming.

Teachers need to be paid like professionals.

It is important to have permanent safe spaces in Harlem.

Just dream big. Go for it. There's nothing holding you back. You can have ups and downs, but if you believe in something, keep the faith; keep fighting. And don't let people put you down.

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

The reason I always loved 'The Omen' so much, and what has always been scariest to me, is anything to do with God. Anything to do with God is quite frightening because fear is something that's very much expressed in a church environment, and I grew up in one. And the fear of God was very much instilled me at a very young age.

I used to say to my late wife, 'I have great faith in the American people.'