I grew up in the southern United States in a city which at that time during the late '40's and early '50's was the most segregated city in the country, and in a sense learning how to oppose the status quo was a question of survival.

I decided to teach because I think that any person who studies philosophy has to be involved actively.

And I guess what I would say is that we can't think narrowly about movements for black liberation and we can't necessarily see this class division as simply a product or a certain strategy that black movements have developed for liberation.

You can never stop and as older people, we have to learn how to take leadership from the youth and I guess I would say that this is what I'm attempting to do right now.

As for the symphonic activities... when I was a student at the Eastman School of Music, I became exposed to a lot more musical forms, elements, opportunities, and I fell in love with strings and their uses.

I'm starting a virtual school for the world, teaching things the way I wanted to be taught.

I would probably have been very content as a scholar to have carried on organising exhibitions and writing books and teaching.

In a free country, government is a dull and onerous responsibility. It is a parent-teacher conference.