“ I'm trying to take the stigma off the word ambitious, so we encourage more little girls to be ambitious, because I do think that's how society will change. ”
“ 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. ”
ContextZendaya, the youngest woman and second Black woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, in her acceptance speech during a summer of protest.
Their StoryAmerican actor who became the youngest woman ever, and the second Black woman, to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in 'Euphoria', a win she repeated in 2022.Her Emmy acceptance speeches are direct primary sources.See Their Full Story
“ 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. ”
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
ContextBaker, an entertainer who became a civil-rights figure and wartime Resistance agent, on a life given to performance.Read More: LGBTQ+ Voices
Their StoryMissouri-born entertainer who became one of France's most celebrated performers, taking Paris by storm in the 1920s. During the Second World War she worked with the French Resistance, smuggling coded messages hidden in her sheet music, and was later awarded the Croix de guerre. In 1963 she stood on the podium at the March on Washington as the only official female speaker.Her memoirs and the biography by Jean-Claude Baker are the fullest primary sources.See Their Full Story
“ 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. ”
“ 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. ”
EntertainmentMale Role ModelsHe / Him · Pronounced: FRED ROJ-erz
He / Him · Pronounced: FRED ROJ-erz
Source: Widely attributed to Rogers; exact original context to be confirmed · original link to be verified
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
ContextRogers spent decades modelling gentleness and patience to children on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, at a time when that wasn't seen as a masculine trait.
