Where I come from, there were traditions with my race and whenever you faced a curve in life, there was always a tradition.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Traditions are a common part of our lives. They can be good, and not all traditions are wrong, but sometimes they can take the joy out of life.
We are all part of a tradition, at least we depend on the past.
Tradition means taking account of a wonderful history but remembering that everybody today looks to the future.
I always learn something from every race.
My family is Native American, and I was raised with Native American ceremonies.
There was once a caustic comment from someone suggesting I was breeding a new race. Fans from different countries have married, amazing things like that. I've been to some of the weddings. I went to one here the other day, a pagan ceremony.
I came from such a simple origin, without any great privilege, and I would say I also wanted to make a mark. It wasn't until I was about 15 that I appeared in a race.
If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.
One of the things that's really, really present in 'Between the World and Me' is, I am in some ways outside of the African-American tradition.
If I have smashed the traditions, it was because I knew no traditions.