Misty Copeland Quotes

I enjoy stories about thin women - I read them frequently. I enjoy them; I root for those characters, but I always feel like there are enough of them out there and there are enough of them in the spotlight.

What's so kind of beautiful about the whole thing was that everything that made me not right for all of those hundreds of commercial auditions that I went on and no one ever wanted me for is what made me perfectly right for 'Real Women Have Curves'.

In my work and in myself I reflect black people, women and men, as I reflect others. One day even the most self-protective ones will look into the mirror I provide and not be afraid.

What I think is exciting is that, to a certain extent, there is a revolution happening where black women are owning their own beauty, despite the standard of beauty that in the past has not had space for it.

I know what it's like to turn the page of a magazine and not see anyone like you. It takes a lot, a lot, a lot of talking to yourself to confirm your self-worth.

If there was going to be a pioneer of the plus-size girl of my shape on TV, why not me?

I want the next 16-year-old kid who looks like me to know he's not automatically the bad guy. Hopefully, that kid can look at Mustafa Ali and say, 'Hey, he's not the bad guy, and I don't have to be, either.'

Once I realized, when I became a plus-size model, that there were more women like me, my confidence immediately shot through the roof.

I'd watch shows like 'The Kids in the Hall' or 'Twin Peaks,' and I'd see weird people being celebrated and appreciated without compromising their weirdness. On 'The Facts of Life,' I'd see girls who were pudgy, beautiful, popular, tomboyish - many ways of being female - and I'd feel quietly reassured.

Black women, dark skin women are the original beautiful people to me.

I think it is time people realized that people with Down syndrome can be sexy and beautiful and should be celebrated.

I'm seeing a lot of roles written explicitly for plus-size women, which is so cool.

I never grew up seeing women that looked like me in magazines or on TV and didn't feel like I had a place in the world of fashion. I am honoured to be part of that change.

To see another fat girl on television, I think, is really powerful. I'm happy to open the doors for a younger generation of fat, black women to be visible, to be seen, to be heard.

For me, playing a chubby or fat superhero was so special because I would go and watch these movies with my friends and would never see anyone like me. I am excited to be that for other kids who look like me.

I didn't even aspire to be a model because I didn't see myself represented, even as simple as the freckles on my skin.

Ultimately, my goal is to inspire little brown girls that look like me, that are sitting on the porch wearing cornrows.

It's just surreal because I get to empower other little African-American girls around the world and say that you can be a superhero, and you rock, and you can conquer the world, and you are beautiful just the way you are, and your flaws are nothing, and you're awesome.

I think it's important to represent black women and our natural hair. Not wearing a weave is totally beautiful and acceptable.

Representation is very important to everyone, but especially to girls like me, and people like me, whether it be because of my body, because of my race, because of my skin color, because of my awkwardness or where I come from.

I hope that every film I make has something to offer in the area of making people feel either vindicated or different in terms of who they are.

For those of you who are underrepresented in technology, know that you've always been here. Look in photos and see yourself reflecting back.

It's about how you exist as a person in the world, and the idea that your work is more important than you as a person is a horrible, horrible message. I always think about a little gay boy in Wisconsin or a little lesbian in Arkansas seeing someone like me, and if I cannot be open in my life, how on earth can they?

I'm ready to be an action figure. I'd love that very much. And all the redheaded kids will get to go out and feel loved and be able to buy a redheaded action figure.

I've never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines. I represent the majority of women and I'm very proud of that.