“Silence marks time, saturates and shapes African-American art. Silence...” — John Edgar Wideman Quote

“Silence marks time, saturates and shapes African-American art. Silences structure our music, fill the spaces - point, counterpoint - of rhythm, cadence, phrasing.”

“Writing 'Hoop Roots' was a substitute or a surrogate activity. I can't play anymore - my body won't cooperate - so in the writing of the book, I was looking to tell a good story about my life and about basketball, but I was also looking to entertain myself the way that I entertain myself when I play.”

“African-Americans have always viewed the protection of black lives as a civil rights issue, whether the threat comes from police officers or street criminals. Far from ignoring the issue of crime by blacks against other blacks, African-American officials and their constituents have been consumed by it.”

“There are some stories I want to tell that I think it'd be cool to see an African-American dude do.”

“There are as many quality African-American actors and actresses as Caucasians, but it seems that they get a lot more opportunities.”