A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

“ Why not me? ”

— Mindy Kaling, 2015

“ 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

“ Ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. ”

— Michelle Yeoh, 2023

“ It's hard as a young person of a different ethnicity or background to look at the TV and not see anyone who looks like you. ”

— Zendaya, 2016

“ 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

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

— Riz Ahmed

“ There is not an industry I can think of where there is equal pay for equal work, or abuse of power doesn't exist, for men and for women. And so equality is not a political issue, it's a humanitarian issue. ”

— Cate Blanchett, 2018

“ There are three ways to ultimate success: the first way is to be kind, the second way is to be kind, and the third way is to be kind. ”

— Fred Rogers

“ I'm a proud person who happens to be deaf. ”

— Marlee Matlin

“ Turn your wounds into wisdom. ”

— Oprah Winfrey

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

— Fred Rogers, 2003

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

— Demi Lovato, 2018

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

— Denzel Washington, 2015

“ Being kind is a choice that you can make absolutely every single day. ”

— Tom Hanks, 2019

“ I recognize how hard this is for people, and I recognize how hard it is for me. But I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff. And I realized, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable. ”

— Michael J. Fox, 2023

“ Europeans didn't vibe with the way women held power in many Native societies. ”

— Lily Gladstone, 2023

“ I encourage women to step up. Don't wait for somebody to ask you. ”

— Reese Witherspoon

“ I use my platform for more than just myself. To neglect the political is to neglect what essentially is your job of storytelling. ”

— Zendaya

“ Depression is not as easy as saying, 'Just find your joy and you're going to become happy.' That was never my experience. ”

— Jonathan Van Ness, 2019

“ I shall dance all my life. ”

— Josephine Baker

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

— Hannah Gadsby