Okieriete Onaodowan Quotes

I'm such a firm believer that everyone should see themselves in a character, and everyone should feel represented.

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.

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.

It's important to read books and see people who look like you. It helps you know that you are not the only one or the weird one because you're a black girl and you are not seeing anyone who looks like you in these books.

It's important for Asian American kids to see themselves in stories and to feel seen. They need to know that their stories are universal, too, that they, too, can fall in love in a teen movie. They don't have to be the sidekick; they can be the hero.

I think kids in every minority need to see people like themselves in books; that's an acknowledgment of their existence on this planet and in this society.

When I get to meet my audience when I go speak at colleges or when I'm walking down the street, it's been really eye-opening how many people have been touched to see someone that looks like them on television.

I like the idea of a broader range of people feeling seen.

There is power in seeing a face that looks like yours do something, be someone. There is power in moving from the sidelines to the center.

Seeing someone that you can relate to in the media is everything as a child, and a lot of people are not granted that luxury.

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

When I felt like an outsider, movies made me feel inside my own skill set.

I wouldn't want them to feel lonely or outcast ever in any way. And no matter where they were in the world, I'd want them to always feel incredibly confident about who they were and proud.

I don't want anyone to ever say that I don't belong where I am.

We all know the power of film; we all know there's almost nothing more powerful than to see people on film that look and talk like you, like we do.

I'm lucky to be in a space where I've been accepted for who I am and celebrated for who I am.

When I grew up in America, I didn't see anyone who looked like me on TV. I feel overwhelmed with the things that people have said to me. When I meet Indian Americans who've lived here all their lives, it's overwhelming people holding me and crying. Someone said to me, 'Thank you for making us relevant.' It's such a big thing.

It's hard as a young person of a different ethnicity or background to look at the TV and not see anyone who looks like you. Representation is very important.

I loved her music and the fact that she was a classically trained pianist and that her voice was so unique, but what made Nina Simone my hero is that I had never seen anyone in the public eye who looked anything like me at all, ever.

My parents have taught me the value of reading and self-love through books that have characters that look like me and talk like me.

I'm working to create a space where it feels easy to include and imagine black girls and make black girls like me the main characters of our lives.

As young people, you want to see people who in some way look like you to some degree, because it makes it a little easier for you to aspire to take on the qualities of those people.

For readers of color, and especially black readers, black girls, I just want them to feel seen. And not just seen - I want them to feel epic and know that they are epic.

If I had seen 'Pose' in the years I was a kid, it would have probably meant everything to me.

I am so passionate about representation because, growing up, I didn't see myself, and now people can say, 'I see myself there.' We're all trying to find where we are.