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A whole generation of young whites have involved themselves with traditional Negro music.

To my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist, if he accepts any duties at all from outsiders, to change through the force of his art that old whispering 'I want to be white,' hidden in the aspirations of his people, to 'Why should I want to be white? I am a Negro - and beautiful!'

In the long, nonillustrious history of white people pilfering African American culture, have I just perpetrated that? I'm motivated by a love for the music and by a love of the performances, and I really hope I haven't done anything bad.

My black-and-white work is more of a celebration, and the color work became more of a critique of society.

Yes, the audience is so important to Negro music, especially the element of call and response.

As soon as white folks say a play's good, the theater is jammed with blacks and whites.

Black audiences are hard. They always think they're better than you. So you got to come with a little extra to satisfy them.

Given the historical power differential between blacks and whites, blacks are required to be attentive to the way their white counterparts see themselves in relation to people of color if they want to survive and even thrive.

Negroes' problem is that they do not have their egos. That's why our churches end up having a white service, because our preacher is not arrogant enough to take God's word, so he have to go and get some white fellow's agenda and put it in his church.

You've got to appreciate the things that come from the art of the Negro and from the heart of the man farthest down.