A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

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

— Michelle Yeoh, 2023

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

— Denzel Washington, 2015

“ A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. ”

— Christopher Reeve, 1998

“ Blood, sweat and respect. First two you give, the last one you earn. ”

— Dwayne Johnson, 2012

“ I shall dance all my life. ”

— Josephine Baker

“ 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

“ Be kind to one another. ”

— Ellen DeGeneres

“ 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

“ Ever since I could form coherent thoughts, I knew I was a girl trapped inside a boy's body. There was never any confusion in my mind. ”

— Jazz Jennings, 2016

“ I think having a baby sliced out of you is pretty hardcore. ”

— Ali Wong, 2015

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

— Tom Hanks, 2019

“ This is politics for me. This is my life. I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars. ”

— Billy Porter, 2019

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

— Lily Gladstone, 2023

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

— Hannah Gadsby

“ Why not me? ”

— Mindy Kaling, 2015

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

— Riz Ahmed

“ I know that the ones who love us will miss us. ”

— Keanu Reeves, 2019

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

— Reese Witherspoon

“ 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

“ I remember when I decided to be open about my own personal mental health, it was scary to be that vulnerable and I didn't ever want anyone to think I am a victim. I thought by sharing my own story I could help others. ”

— Selena Gomez

“ 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