A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

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

— Marlee Matlin

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

— Awkwafina, 2018

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

— Lily Gladstone, 2023

“ 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

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

— Laverne Cox

“ I became an artist, and thank god I did, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life. ”

— Viola Davis, 2017

“ 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

“ The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. ”

— Viola Davis, 2015

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

— Ali Wong, 2015

“ 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

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

— Christopher Reeve, 1998

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

— Sidney Poitier, 2000

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

— Laverne Cox

“ 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

“ Be kind to one another. ”

— Ellen DeGeneres

“ It's our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America. ”

— Patricia Arquette, 2015

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

— Denzel Washington, 2015

“ 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

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

— Dwayne Johnson, 2012

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

— Riz Ahmed

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

— Tom Hanks, 2019