A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

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

— Dwayne Johnson, 2012

“ I'm not OK with someone writing the Asian experience for an Asian character. ”

— Awkwafina, 2019

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

— Viola Davis, 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

“ 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. ”

— Morgan Freeman, 2005

“ The handicap of deafness is not in the ear; it is in the mind. ”

— Marlee Matlin

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

— Riz Ahmed

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

— Sidney Poitier, 2000

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

— Michelle Yeoh, 2023

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

— Ali Wong, 2015

“ If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else? ”

— RuPaul, 2009

“ I remember that love conquers fear, always, and that to be a man means accepting myself, weaknesses and all. That's my true superpower. ”

— Terry Crews, 2014

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

— Denzel Washington, 2015

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

— Awkwafina, 2018

“ 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

“ 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

“ 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

“ If your dream only includes you, it's too small. ”

— Ava DuVernay

“ 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

“ 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