"I'm a blues philosopher, a jazz theologian, a hip-hop ethicist."

"I'm a public intellectual who believes in the power of the prophetic tradition."

"The American empire is crumbling from within. And it’s not just economic, it’s spiritual, it’s moral."

"We live in a moment in which there is a courage deficit. People want to be popular and comfortable. They don't have the courage to tell the truth."

"The truth is often painful, but it is always liberating."