“I came up in Brooklyn singing doo-wop music from the time I was 13 to ...” — Richie Havens Quote

“I came up in Brooklyn singing doo-wop music from the time I was 13 to the time I was 20. That music served a purpose of keeping a lot of people out of trouble, and also it was a passport from one neighborhood to another.”

“I actually grew up with people from all over the world. There wasn't enough of a difference to feel different from anybody else. Their grandmother hollered at me like my grandmother hollered at all the kids when anybody did anything wrong. And their parents did the same thing.”

“With 'Brooklyn,' I knew the story I wanted to tell, and I just had a very strong sense that if I turned the volume up a little bit, it could be something really special.”

“When I first came back and I was playing with the Nets, yes, there was a lot of media attention. But after about two weeks, all those stories about being the first gay athlete went away and it became about, 'Wait, how are the Brooklyn Nets doing?' The same goes for Robbie Roberts, who won an MLS Cup.”

“When I was playing with the Brooklyn Nets, we still called people soft, but we never equated it with being gay. It shows people are capable of changing language and culture.”