Black Lightning, Jefferson Pierce, is the American dream. Salim Akil More Quotes by Salim Akil More Quotes From Salim Akil I remember, as a kid, wearing the Batman costume for Halloween and feeling empowered by that as a kid. Salim Akil costume feeling kid remember My mother, Betty, was an entertainer - she opened up for James Brown, Ike and Tina Turner - and I had an uncle who would work as a chef in a restaurant, 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4. I was young, so he could have been shorter, but in my mind, that's how tall he was. Salim Akil mother mind work chef When you're given a certain amount of power - like, you're a writer and an employed writer, and you put pen to paper, and people are going to read what you write - that's power. Salim Akil pen you power people Oftentimes in a marriage, you really don't have to say anything. You can sort of have a conversation without words. Salim Akil words you marriage conversation My wife asked me to marry her. But we did not jump the broom. Salim Akil jump her me wife I was determined to make a movie - about families and a love story - that black women would be proud to see and which would depict them as being smart, loving, sensitive, sexy, and funny. Salim Akil women sexy love funny There are so many slices to the African-American experience. I mean, I have the whole ghetto pedigree. My mom was in jail, I didn't have any money, and I didn't go to a fancy college. But that's not the type of story I want to tell or feel the need to tell on film. Salim Akil feel experience money mom What we tend to do in our shows, especially with 'Love Is_,' is to show the humanity of characters so that people can see themselves, one, and so that other cultures can see that we have more in common than we have not in common. Salim Akil humanity love-is love people I always approach storytelling with the idea that the audience will get it. They understand almost better than we do, because they get to watch it from an entirely different perspective with new eyes. Salim Akil eyes better understand perspective You can't protect your children from life. Salim Akil your you life children There are so many families who do not come up in a traditional household. African Americans, Latins, and, I'm sure, whites as well, but there are a lot of men missing in African American communities and in Latin communities. Salim Akil well american missing men I tell my children, some people can be more talented than you. Some people can be faster, stronger, but there is never a reason for anyone to outwork you. Salim Akil some-people you children people I grew up around people with a bunch of serious problems. Salim Akil problems up serious people I thought I was an actor until they pointed the camera at me. Salim Akil actor camera thought me Like anyone else in television, I like to explore my life experience. And I don't think African-American artists see doing shows or art about African-Americans as something 'less than.' I think maybe the industry sometimes does. We don't get as much attention, we don't get critical acclaim and so on. Salim Akil my-life experience life art I never saw a true representation - an iconic hero - for myself. It just got boring, reading about all these really powerful and heroic white guys. Salim Akil myself reading hero white To me, Jefferson Pierce represented every side of me. I knew that I would be able to flesh him out. Salim Akil side out him me If I'm walking down the street or taking my kids trick-or-treating, and I see some young girls or boys who are dressed up like Black Lightning, that, to me, would be success. Salim Akil me black walking success As an artist, I write and I do what I know and what creatively comes out of me, and I think that other artists should do the same thing. Salim Akil think know me artist If anyone sees anything in 'Black Lightning' that seems foreign to them, then they haven't been paying attention. This is a uniquely American experience. Salim Akil american experience black attention
