Fighting Anderson Silva was a signature and career-defining moment that was stolen from me.
Too bad integration didn't come sooner, because there were so many ballplayers that could have made the major leagues. That's why, you look back, and - not to take away anything from Babe Ruth or some of those other guys - they didn't play against the greatest ballplayers in the world.
I felt that I didn't get a fair chance at Texas Tech to compete, for an assortment of reasons, but reasons I couldn't really control.
My father was an autodidact. It wasn't a middle-class house. Shopkeepers are aspirant. He paid for me to go to private school. He was denied an education - he had a horrible childhood. He got a place at a grammar school and wasn't allowed to go.
But I was very disappointed that I didn't get a chance to go overseas with that group, might not have gotten back but I wanted very much to go because there's not much of a record of the exploits of the first Negro fighter group.
I know what it's like to be denied opportunity based on the nature of your skin.
If you have the talent and passion and commitment, you shouldn't be locked out of the room.
I had the most frustrating thing happen when I was trying to find a label. I sent my album to this indie label, and they were like, 'We already have two girls on the label. I'm so sorry, we just can't take your project.'
I wanted to be the first female, young teenager producer, and it didn't happen. And when it finally did happen, I was shelved because I was signed to Warner Bros.
Even though I'm very fortunate and grateful to have played Aladdin, there were still four, five casting directors who never gave me a shot in Toronto. They didn't give me the time of day. I never got to audition for them.
It's a shame that when you've actually lived some life and have something to write about, they're saying you're too old to come out and play it.
Obviously, getting to United isn't easy, so not being given a chance is hard to take.
People always ask me why I still want to play, but I want to know why no one will give me an opportunity. It's like they put a stamp on me: 'Hall of Fame. You're done. That's it.'
The players you really feel bad for are the younger players, who haven't had a chance to experience playing in a World Cup.
If someone has the chance to be top scorer and you want to encourage him, then you give him the chance to be top scorer but it never happened. That's why I believe something is going on there.
Not to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing on their ways, is, on this short day of frost and sun, to sleep before evening.
It's been so difficult to go from playing every game then get to the seniors and not be given a chance. It's really difficult mentally. There's only so long you just enjoy training with top players.
