What inspired “Travisville”?

The civil rights movement in Dallas, which was sort of nonexistent. I read this book called “The Accommodation,” with all these really interesting points of view espoused by civic leaders and church leaders. It definitely got my mind working.

Were you raised in a religious tradition?

Yeah, I was raised C.O.G.I.C. which is Church of God in Christ, a very conservative, very strict denomination of Christianity in the black community. I think all my neuroses come from having been religious.

Do you practice now?

Not really. I hit a point of very studied agnosticism. I kind of like to believe in nothing and everything.

So what do you think it means to be a good person?

That’s big. Just trying to put as much good into the world as you can from the lens that you have. Let me rephrase that. I don’t know if I agree with what I just said. I think it’s probably to put as much good into the world as you can, given the information that you have. I definitely just lock up, and I’m like: “Well, I’m not sure if this is right. What if I’m wrong?” So something I’m trying to do now is to act on the information I do have until I get new information. Otherwise I’m just largely ineffectual, and I’m trying not to be. What I actually need to do is volunteer a lot more.

Everyone must joke that feeling locked up sounds exactly like Chidi.

I got the part, and I explained it to my girlfriend. She said: “Oh, well that’s just you. Always locked up and paralyzed and never sure what to do next — that’s just you, man.”