A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

“ I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. ”

— Freddie Mercury

“ I can't wake you up. You can wake you up. I can't cure you. You can cure you. ”

— John Lennon, 1980

“ I think ageing is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been. ”

— David Bowie

“ It's an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live. ”

— Nina Simone

“ I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. ”

— Nina Simone

“ Small changes end up making a big difference. It's about being a lot nicer to each other. It's just saying, 'Treat people with kindness.' ”

— Harry Styles

“ For the longest time I was trying to be white and fit in, that's also fine at some points in your life, I had to do that to survive in certain spaces. ”

— Rina Sawayama, 2020

“ I am Puerto Rican, I am Caribbean, and my music, my culture, my country's history run through my veins, from plena to reggaeton. ”

— Bad Bunny

“ My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. ”

— Kid Cudi, 2016

“ You're trying to take all this misunderstanding and loathing, and you're trying to turn it into love, which is the wonderful thing that happens when you're trying to make music out of the rough, hard, bad things. ”

— Bruce Springsteen, 2018

“ Wherever we are, this is home. Wherever I go, I'll always be Puerto Rican. ”

— Bad Bunny, 2025

“ Everybody supports women until a woman's doing better than you. ”

— Sofia Isella, 2023

“ I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage, and I never thought of being black as a disadvantage. I am what I am. I love me! ”

— Stevie Wonder, 2012

“ Growing up in the Western world, there are so many times where I'm like, Oh, I'm not white. My name is not that easy to say. I'm not as relatable as a white person. ”

— Rina Sawayama, 2020

“ People are just afraid of things too much. Afraid of things that don't necessarily merit fear. ”

— Frank Ocean, 2012

“ If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. ”

— Desmond Tutu

“ If me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade. ”

— Pete Buttigieg, 2019

“ There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. ”

— Elliot Page, 2023

“ We all have agency over our own stories, and no one can strip you of that agency. Your story is yours and it's your story to tell. ”

— Janet Mock, 2014

“ Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top too. ”

— Billie Jean King

“ When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful. ”

— Malala Yousafzai