A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

“ It is a revolutionary act simply to be who you are. ”

— Laverne Cox

“ I'm definitely not all Asians, but the thing that I've always done is aggressively been myself. ”

— Awkwafina, 2018

“ If we truly envision an equal world, it takes equal effort and sacrifice. Today is one of the most indelible days of my life because of Mark Wahlberg, WME and a community of women and men who share in this accomplishment. ”

— Michelle Williams, 2018

“ I can't overstate the biggest joy, which is really seeing yourself. I know I look different to others, but to me I'm just starting to look like myself. ”

— Elliot Page, 2021

“ I shall dance all my life. ”

— Josephine Baker

“ There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself. ”

— Hannah Gadsby

“ There is hope in the young people out there. And I just want to say to all my peers out there doing the work in the streets: I see you, I admire you, I thank you. ”

— Zendaya, 2020

“ Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man. And I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man. I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman. ”

— Morgan Freeman, 2005

“ Turn your wounds into wisdom. ”

— Oprah Winfrey

“ I remember that love conquers fear, always, and that to be a man means accepting myself, weaknesses and all. That's my true superpower. ”

— Terry Crews, 2014

“ Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. ”

— Fred Rogers, 2003

“ If I was being 'sold' as a commodity of equal value to my male counterpart and worked as hard as him, I couldn't reconcile why I wasn't being remunerated equally. ”

— Cate Blanchett

“ Language brings with it an identity and a culture, or at least the perception of it. A shared language says 'We're the same.' A language barrier says 'We're different.' ”

— Trevor Noah, 2016

“ Let's let everybody know it's okay to have a mental illness, it's okay to have an addiction problem. ”

— Demi Lovato, 2018

“ Why not me? ”

— Mindy Kaling, 2015

“ I hope it's a bit of a love letter to everyone who feels different, who feels out of place, to all of the Black women who have walked into rooms and felt like they haven't been welcomed. ”

— Cynthia Erivo, 2024

“ I must find positive outlets for anger or it will destroy me... the highest positive is forgiveness. ”

— Sidney Poitier, 2000

“ The stories we tell about communities affect the laws that get passed, the people that get attacked, the countries that get invaded. ”

— Riz Ahmed

“ Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success. ”

— Denzel Washington, 2015

“ Just me existing, as an openly black transgender woman from a working-class background, thriving, is a political act. ”

— Laverne Cox

“ If your dream only includes you, it's too small. ”

— Ava DuVernay