Quotes About Representation

Chefs don't have a union. We don't have a Screen Actor's Guild.

I don't want people to go to a film of mine because they feel guilty, like, 'I have to support it because there's black folks in there.' I want them to go because it's a good movie.

I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at - not copy it.

I probably haven't had enough gay characters in my stuff. When you're writing something, you're thinking, 'Why couldn't this person be black, white, gay?'

I've had the honor of working with so many trans people as a hairdresser over my career in some way.

I didn't have an agent until I got 'Hairspray.' I had to get a Broadway show without an agent to get an agent.

People think that there is a country there that these people are only around when they are on CNN. I don't think that's limited to Haiti.

I know the Haitian people - because I am the Haitian people.

I always look at things half full and definitely see a change in how things are going as far as black actresses and their opportunities.

And we did it because it's time for City Hall to stop looking out for City Hall and start looking out for the people like you and me who are footing the bill.

Like at Halloween: I knew I'd arrived when I saw people dressing up on Halloween as my character.

I would love if gay men responded to me. All I want is for many gay men to dress up as me for Halloween.

You never think about someone dressing up as you for Halloween.

It wasn't until 'Hamilton' that I began to be considered an actor of color, and I really don't know what to make of it.

With 'Hamilton,' what's cool about the show is that even super-old white people come to see the show and hang on every word, it's that good.

The truth of the matter is, I am a black woman, and I am an actor. I don't try to get caught up in being a black actor; I'm just an actor who is a black woman. It's not about forgetting that you're black, but you don't need to be hammered over the head, either; it just is what it is.

Growing up in Hampton, the face of science was brown like mine.

States require that a resident agent be designated.

Sometimes people ask me, 'Why did you write a strong young woman character?' I just thought she was more interesting than if she was a young man.

The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. —John 12:45 niv

I'm just surprised because most of the fantasy worlds in movies and books are lily white. -Well, that's just crazy!

We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.

Among you Medes, I'm told, there are many men so honorable that everyone trusts them. We're not like that at all—we never trust one another. So what we do instead is make sure that each side's represented, so that every rascal's got two worse looking over his shoulder.

that everything, whatever happens, has three meanings.