I don’t think I’ll ever do a show with violence where there’s no consequences, ’cause I know the consequences. Salim Akil Read Quote
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 Read Quote
If the only thing that was interesting about Jefferson Pierce is that he is African-American, I don’t think we’d have much of a show. Salim Akil Read Quote
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 Read Quote
In this larger conversation about diversity, we want to really show that we’re all the same. We are all experiencing the same stories. Salim Akil Read Quote
Come election time, black and white politicians put on their costumes of compassion and care, shake black hands, kiss black babies, sing ‘We Shall Overcome’ in black , and pray that we will ignore the reality of everyday suffering and the damage that is being done to our future in exchange for our votes. Salim Akil Read Quote
If I see one kid dressed up like Thunder or Lightning or Black Lightning, I’ll feel like I influenced the culture in a very positive way. That’s the endgame for me. If this happens, my mission will be complete. Salim Akil Read Quote
I came up seeing what a lot of young brothers see in this world, and you learn to deal with people with a long handle spoon in order to survive. Salim Akil Read Quote
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 Read Quote
