“Before I got into grad school, I used to work as a deck hand on these ...” — Mahershala Ali Quote

“Before I got into grad school, I used to work as a deck hand on these ferry boats in San Francisco, and they did day tours. It wasn't a bad job. I made decent money. But you were sitting down all day, tying up the boat, wiping it down. For some guys, that's a dream job, but for me it was kind of torture.”

“If you convert to Islam after a couple of decades of being a black man in the U.S., the discrimination you receive as a Muslim doesn't feel like a shock.”

“I found myself sort of becoming a character actor, though I don't know if that would be my natural makeup.”

“Just like when I was in the NFL, you've got to find those smaller dudes - and when you get your hands on them, it's bad news - all day.”

“I watch basketball all day every day. So when I'm watching the games, I watch it - I just enjoy watching basketball - but when I'm watching other people play, I'm really just watching as a student trying to figure different things out.”

“There's just a completely different vibe at festivals. Everyone gets to hang out and enjoy their favorite music all day. I really do try and play as many festivals as possible!”