A curated register of quotes from under-represented voices.

“ I can't wake you up. You can wake you up. I can't cure you. You can cure you. ”

— John Lennon, 1980

“ I think ageing is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been. ”

— David Bowie

“ Wherever we are, this is home. Wherever I go, I'll always be Puerto Rican. ”

— Bad Bunny, 2025

“ You're trying to take all this misunderstanding and loathing, and you're trying to turn it into love, which is the wonderful thing that happens when you're trying to make music out of the rough, hard, bad things. ”

— Bruce Springsteen, 2018

“ For the longest time I was trying to be white and fit in, that's also fine at some points in your life, I had to do that to survive in certain spaces. ”

— Rina Sawayama, 2020

“ I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. ”

— Nina Simone

“ Everybody supports women until a woman's doing better than you. ”

— Sofia Isella, 2023

“ Small changes end up making a big difference. It's about being a lot nicer to each other. It's just saying, 'Treat people with kindness.' ”

— Harry Styles

“ I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage, and I never thought of being black as a disadvantage. I am what I am. I love me! ”

— Stevie Wonder, 2012

“ It's an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live. ”

— Nina Simone

“ Growing up in the Western world, there are so many times where I'm like, Oh, I'm not white. My name is not that easy to say. I'm not as relatable as a white person. ”

— Rina Sawayama, 2020

“ I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. ”

— Freddie Mercury

“ I am Puerto Rican, I am Caribbean, and my music, my culture, my country's history run through my veins, from plena to reggaeton. ”

— Bad Bunny

“ My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. ”

— Kid Cudi, 2016

“ People are just afraid of things too much. Afraid of things that don't necessarily merit fear. ”

— Frank Ocean, 2012

“ 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

“ It is not an issue if a straight man plays rugby, and I hope my decision will ensure it is not an issue if a gay man plays rugby. ”

— Gareth Thomas, 2009

“ I am going to keep saying that I am a feminist until it is met with a shrug. ”

— Justin Trudeau, 2016

“ The pressure I did feel before matches was self-inflicted. I didn't go out on court there thinking about what was being said in the papers and on TV about me. ”

— Tim Henman, 2017

“ 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