“Blessed beyond measure to be with people who inspire me and have a vision beyond my wildest dreams.”

I love empowering women. I think it’s crazy: if you ever try to belittle women, you’re playing yourself – I ride with whoever rides with me.

Searchin for peace be like fishing for water.

I’m a visual learner, so the film is a huge inspiration to me.

I’ve been known to wear pajamas onstage for the sole reason of wanting to make sure I’m free enough to execute new things vocally on stage and give my best performance possible.

I live in my imagination, so sometimes movies help me get lost. I feel like I’m in it.

I was raised orthodox Muslim. Very sheltered, very conservative.

I was a funky kid.

I was a gymnast for 13 years, so I was heavy into sports.

I just think I have too much anxiety to listen to music. Sometimes it feels like noise, and sometimes it’s so affecting that I can’t recover from it.

I love folk. I love rap.

I learned everything the hard way – like, literally, everything. I know that God does that to people that he has lessons for. I just wish that I had learned less extreme lessons.

Wearing a hijab never made me feel any more conservative – it made me feel safe. Then, after 9/11, I became the butt of a joke on the playground, so I stopped wearing it. Kids can be really cruel when you’re the only black girl in your Girl Scout troop.

I feel like when you say ‘activist,’ you have to have so much clarity, and I don’t always necessarily have so much clarity on how I want to help others, I just have this weird, deep urge to help other people. I’m trying to let God guide my body and use it as whatever kind of vehicle or vessel it needs to be.

It starts with trusting yourself, even if people are telling you you’re too young to trust yourself.

I want to excel at something, to follow through, to not be afraid.

Mental health and family above all things. Period.

A lot of people, we want a miracle, we want a huge blessing. People will forget that a miracle will only happen on the platform of a tragedy.

Every opportunity to walk in fashion show is a blessing

Through my up and down I keep a big smile on my face because I know I’m blessed to be alive.

Stress blind you with your blessings.

Forgiveness is such a blessing. It frees us.

Having a soft heart is a blessing, not a weakness.

Look for the blessing in all situations.

Pain is a two-way street, sometimes it drags you till the verge of insanity and sometimes it is a blessing in disguise.