If at first you don't succeed blame your parents.

Because of their size parents may be difficult to discipline properly.

My parents and librarians along the way taught me about the space between words about the margins where so many juicy moments of life and spirit and friendship could be found. In a library you could find miracles and truth and you might find something that would make you laugh so hard that you get shushed in the friendliest way.

As a child I was given the freedom to explore my passion for acting but I also grew up in a home where there were a lot of rules. I didn't have 'yes' parents.

My parents came from Russia and suddenly they wound up in Boston Massachusetts Brookline Massachusetts and they felt the sun rose and set on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's backside because he meant so much to them. This was freedom. This was something totally different from the Russia they had left.

The schools would fail through their silence the Church through its forgiveness and the home through the denial and silence of the parents. The new generation has to hear what the older generation refuses to tell it.

I'm very proud of my Nigerian heritage. I wasn't fortunate enough to be raised in a heavy Nigerian environment because my parents were always working. My father was with D.C. Cabs and my mother worked in fast food and was a nurse.

My parents owned a soul food diner. It inspired me to go to culinary school.

I travel around and hear from so many kids. Their parents say they were always very picky but they watch the show and they want to try stuff. The show is entertainment but I think it has done so much for the public perception of what food can be.

Heads know that failing to invest in good nutritious food is a false economy and parents won't tolerate reconstituted turkey being put back on the menu.