Demetrius Shipp Jr. Quotes

Why do we always have to see black people in hindsight? Why are the Hollywood movies always historical? What about the contemporary image of black people?

Considering the popularity of soaps with the African-American audience, it's grotesque that the entertainment industry, for all its vaunted liberalism, is lagging so far behind social changes in the United States. And why has there never been an all-black daytime network soap? It would probably blow the white soaps off the map.

It's difficult because usually when they cast things, the main characters are Caucasian in absolutely almost every situation.

When I was growing up, all these superheroes were white. On some level, you put that out of your mind... but as you get older, you realize it's a very one-sided affair. So I'm very glad to see that these movies are becoming more diversified.

I think Australia focuses on people that had a big start at home, like 'Home and Away' or 'Neighbours' graduates, and the truth is those shows are pretty white for the most part. The diverse actors go straight to the States because that is where more diverse stories and opportunities are being presented.

I liked the fact that there were so many different representations of black women and black men in the movie. It wasn't like we all had the same agenda.

I have a bee in my bonnet as to how few black historical figures one sees on film; incredible stories, stories from which we are living the legacy and which just don't get made.

I love being black in America, and especially being black in Hollywood.

In real life there are indeed black people who have been in the middle class for generations, but in entertainment it's as if they don't exist.

Every year, Hollywood is looking for that new, white leading man and new white starlet that audiences fall in love with. But they're not looking for the next Denzel Washington, Will Smith or Sidney Poitier.

There has been a big debate about it: can a black man play a Nordic character?

People are tired of mainstream media's limited and confined portrayal of people of color.

When you go back to 'Friends,' and you look at that as New York, there's no black people. That's not real. You're in New York City, and there's no black people at all. That's a little funny.

About the time I was 7, I got really into black-exploitation films, so I made my own Wonder Woman, but I made her black.

Studio heads seem to be getting the message that there is not only an audience out there, but there is a desire for people to see people of colour in central roles and in authoritative roles.

The studios aren't lining up to make films about black protagonists, black people being autonomous and independent.

Some people in America don't ever interact with black people outside of television, so we should give them real, believable characters.

The truth of the matter is, there were shows that depicted black characters that were on in the '90s, and they gave everybody a glimpse into the black experience. And then they disappeared.

If, in 2014, we're still making 'white savior movies,' then it's just lazy and unfortunate. We've grown up as a country, and cinema should be able to reflect what's true. And what's true is that black people are the center of their own lives and should tell their own stories from their own perspectives.

Part of the reason everyone is freaking out over 'Black Panther' is because we've never seen it. We have two thousand years of stories, and we've never seen it.

All Blaxploitation is, is the opportunity for an African-American cast or lead actor or actress to do the same things that a white action hero gets to do.

Blacks are tired of seeing whites saying, 'I understand you.' You need a black to direct a black film.

In Germany, you have to see that there are not a lot of black people in the media. I am a tiny bit of colour on German TV and there are a lot of kids who write to me.

The way black people feel, especially, is if you're going to tell a black story, let it come from a real place.

Kanye West does not represent all black people.