Writer

I went to journalism school, so sometimes writing the script of 'Being Mary Jane' is me putting my journalism hat on.

I was nurtured by Ralph Farquhar and then, later, by Sara Finney-Johnson and Vida Spears, two black women. So, I actually was nurtured by my culture, in a safe environment that allowed me to build my confidence. And Debbie Allen was one of my mentors, along with Stan Lathan.

I love writing about black women, but if you go beyond that, we're human beings - and because we're human beings, it's universal for everybody.

When I was in '97, I didn't know I was in a very major moment. But with the privilege of reflection, I do. And that's what artists should do - they should help illuminate and reflect the human condition.

It's funny that black men, at first, were worried about a show called 'Girlfriends' because they thought that black men were gonna get bashed. They realized, 'Wait a minute - we're respected in this story.'

I'm trying to talk about challenging subjects people might not like and trying to find relief as we discuss it.

Where I thrive is with my hands on the keyboard or my pen on the paper. One of the things I get to do is I get to rewrite. I rewrite, and I work hard on my scripts. You can rewrite until you're 'perfect,' and that's something that's safe for me.

To choose love and jump in not knowing, with a lot of unknowns, is a brave act.

In 'Girlfriends,' I was exploring the idea of having it all. In 'Being Mary Jane,' I was exploring the idea that you have to be the center of everything.

I think pregnancy, like life, is what you make it. I received a good hand. I'm thankful and blessed and so peaceful and can't wait to welcome my son.

We still have a lot of work to do in American culture. More open-mindedness is happening - in some cases rapidly, in some, slowly.

A staple of my personality is that I want what I want - and I'm willing to do without until I get it.

I'm hoping that the legacy of 'Girlfriends' is just that you can enjoy and connect to Joan, Maya, Toni, Lynn, and William and see your humanity reflected in theirs. That's what I'm hoping that it did.

I believe in divine order all the time.

I wanted always to be a storyteller of the fullest expression.

When I walk into a room, I know my storytelling has value and I have to sell my idea. I have to help people see the financial value and gain in my work.

Any form of media is an opportunity to be a mirror and reflection of what we are experiencing more in the details of our life. What makes it fun and unique in a lot of ways is how that journey is changing just by the mere fact of the current time.

I often attribute my screenwriting to journalism because they drill in the who, what, when, where and why - but we really need to land on that why. That's what I've been exploring in my writing for many years and trying to get better at.

I'm not afraid of stereotypes. There are some truths to it - but the problem is that people keep sort of owning that one thing to be the truth.

Being black, Latino, or Asian is not a genre. Romantic comedies, thrillers, action - those are genres. I think there's a lot of people who want to have the conversation. I don't think people are afraid of it, I just think it's the time to have that conversation. Race is not a genre.