Ayanna Pressley Quotes

I can't imagine how hard it must be to invest in a community... when you don't feel heard and when you don't feel seen.

There's a belonging problem in Hollywood. Who dictates who belongs? The very body who dictates that looks all one way.

All the excuses that people in power used to make for not telling diverse stories or including diverse people, they've proven to be false.

If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu.

I want to question what the outside is and who defines it. I often find those that are considered to be on the outside extremely inspiring.

I'm a gatekeeper, and the gatekeepers all used to be mostly old, white men.

If you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

This is an important appointment to a community that has often felt excluded from the decision making process.

If any group wants to not be disenfranchised, then understanding that there's going to be a learning curve for people who have disenfranchised them is important.

I think as more women are in positions of power, more people of color are in positions of power, the stories become more inclusive; the casts become more inclusive.

Most sports federations, corporations, and governments don't change voluntarily. Change is brought by the disenfranchised demanding better.

I wrote 'Redefining Realness' because not enough of our stories are being told, and I believe we need stories that reflect us so we don't feel so isolated in our apparent 'difference.'

I want to keep doing projects that speak for people within the community and tell different types of meaningful stories.

I'm hoping to see some minorities in executive offices in positions of power, people who see the merit of projects with minority themes. That may or may not happen.

I think the biggest thing is voice. Whose voice is it? Who gets to control the narrative?

There's a burden of responsibility for me to show up correct - in my head, if I don't do it right, then I'll get shut out, and then other trans women of color will be shut out.

If we don't center the voices of marginalized people, we're doing the wrong work.

Special things happen when you center people who haven't been centered before.

When marginalized people gain voice and center their own experiences, things begin changing. And we see this in all kinds of grassroots movements.

The next Bond ought to be a woman or, at least, a black actor.

I think it's important for not just me but women of color, trans women, and people who are marginalized to be telling stories of themselves. It's important for us to be behind the lens.

From what I see, people of color are being called on in a different way. We're being heard in a different way - louder. And I think it's such an exciting time. The power structure is being redefined, and we're redefining beauty with the stories that we're telling and the women we're showing on our covers.

I am not an insider - definitely not... but I don't think you could call me an outsider.

I figure this current era of history is the one with the best chance of quality of life for a black, female, disabled, middle-aged, queer person who's most comfortable not fitting in. The odds still aren't great, mind you. But I'll take my chances with the 21st century.

Audiences want great story telling; it's why white people watch my show 'Black in America.' It's why black people watch 'Latina in America.' All of that is statistically shown and proven but it was because it was good story telling about people who were outsiders.