Quote

The black characters on TV are the sidekicks, or they're insignificant. You could put all the black sidekicks on one show, and it would be the most boring, one-dimensional show ever. Even look at the black women on 'Community' and 'Parks and Recreation' - they are the archetype of the large black women on television. Snide and sassy.

I've always used black girls on the runway, because I think they're beautiful. I don't need people to tell me, 'You need to use black girls.' I did for 20 years; it's not a new thing for me.

I think there's a huge amount of magic on television, which is slightly vapid: there's no real meaning or message behind it; it is simply a trick.

Because, also the world of showbiz is not just black and white, good and bad.

There are tons of black girls modeling, and each one is special.

As a black woman who grows up in a predominantly white neighborhood, you learn how to perform a 'good' version of yourself. And then when you're with your home girls, you're saying all kinds of stuff that sounds all kinds of crazy, but you understand each other because you're speaking the way that you're comfortable with.

When you're young, you think that clothes are almost magical, and that if you wear the right thing - to school, to the prom, on the date, etc. - something's going to happen. Black, it's the anti-magical thing. It comes from the recognition that it is not going to be 'the' dress.

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

Black men don't like to be called 'boys,' but women accept being called 'girls.'

Because, if I'm honest, people in the white world might be appalled, but in the black world, they're making myths out of me. And I know that ain't the life.