Kerry Washington Quotes

When it was not very comfortable, politically, for me, I said things which lots of people didn't like, some of them may have liked. I said my beliefs, my truth, and my convictions, and that's how I am going to continue to do in the future.

The reception for 'Enemy?' I don't care. No matter what other people think, it was important for me. I will stand for that movie, even if I stand alone.

When you're used to being in the public eye, if you've got a disease, you've got to own up to it. It's about being about it, not running from it.

When I feel something isn't right, I'm going to speak my mind and stand even if it's by myself.

Never forget that the most political thing you can ever do is follow your heart.

Let's get with it, guys: You don't need to hear a Ministry song to get political. You should be political on your own. We're just a side project to society. So do I care what people think about me personally? No. I just do what I do.

I don't think of myself as a rebel; I just say what I think.

I wrote what I felt I had to write, and I'm willing to put my own sanity and my reputation behind it.

One of the things you learn being in the public eye is that you have the ability to raise awareness about serious issues, and, in the process, really help people.

It's easier to aim to please and say what others want to hear than to form an opinion and fight for it, even if it means taking a risk or losing your job.

I almost envy people who say whatever they want.

When I write, I don't allow the fear of consequences to interfere with the writing process. I have in the past paid for my commitment to the truth and the way I live my life. I am prepared to pay more if I have to.

You have to do what you need to do as an artist. You have to have that courage.

I think it's important, if you are an artist, to use your music to stand up for what you believe in.

There have been times when I'm writing about things that are personally embarrassing. Like any human being, sometimes I can't help but wonder - 'What are the people I know going to think about this?' So I have to remind myself that all is permissible. Art has to be a free space. Language has to be a free space.

Most people get scared away from having an opinion. It's not so much my opinions everybody relates to, it's that I don't care about being punished for it.

I say what's in my heart, and I do it in my concerts.

Honest conviction is my courage, the Constitution is my guide.

If you've been around for thirty years posing moral judgments on politics and society, you've got to take a stand. You can't go waving your wooden sword forever.

We must know what we think and speak out, even at the risk of unpopularity. In the final analysis, a democratic government represents the sum total of the courage and the integrity of its individuals. It cannot be better than they are.

So many athletes are afraid to use their platform to do the right thing and speak what they feel, and that's very depressing. Sure, they are afraid of insulting people and losing money because of it, and everyone wants to make the maximum amount of money in their lifetime. But at the expense of who you are? I don't know. That just wasn't in my DNA.

I do not write political shows; I should not write political shows.

People don't have to agree with me. They can say, 'My gosh, I can't believe I'm listening to this guy. I can't disagree with him more.' But at least they know that I'm going to fight for things that I believe in. And I don't need to be in formal office to do that.

I've always been a searcher - you know, a hunter. I'm certainly not the only one. They say actors shouldn't get political and everything, but you can't separate yourself. You can't disconnect yourself from anything.

I'm scared to be political. You get too powerful, and more people try to take you out.