Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
In my head, racism was an issue that needed to be fixed by the racists. Like you needed to convince that person one at a time rather than a systemic thing that needs a whole group effort.
There's an African proverb that I always quote as I think it's incredible which is, 'if the children are not initiated into the village, then they'll burn it down just to feel its warmth.'
The rage of someone who continues to strive so hard and work so hard but is interrupted every day by society, by racism, by white supremacy, by the patriarchy - how can you not feel empathy?
I would always say I can sing, but I'm musical. I'm very good at following instructions, reading the music, and singing as it's written down, but there was a challenge when I had to improvise.
Some people think that gender equality is the biggest issue on the table, and to me, that's a privilege to even think that that's the biggest issue, because I am subject to much more inequality.
You get to a certain age and you start comparing and being uncomfortable in one's body. And then you get to a place where you start to love yourself, accept yourself, celebrate and honor yourself.
I grew up on an estate in Manchester and people I've known from school have died in gang trouble and I always thought, if I'd been on a different estate at a different time, it could have been me.
You know, I had never heard of the Tulsa Riots - and I think something like 42 percent of Americans hadn't - until 'Watchmen' on HBO. And that's just crazy. I really saw how history is manipulated.
I think sci-fi and horror are a perfect vehicle for exploring racism and injustice, the horrors of that. They are real; they are actual; they are tangible. They are also metaphorical and invisible.
I don't know what can be done about knife crime, gang culture and people carrying weapons because it's a world I don't know about, but I hope that people decide to disarm and walk away from conflict.
My grandma was raised in Ghana, and she went back there to work, so she could earn money for my mum's education in Nigeria. It's where it all began, and that dedication to education is the only reason I'm here.
The day after Brexit I had a moment when someone said, 'Don't you want to go back to your own country?' I wasn't 100 per cent sure if he was thinking he was being kind? I was like, 'Um... this is my home, thank you.'
I've realized I have not been completely honest with what I need and what I want and how I've been treated, and I haven't necessarily stood up for myself. I've not always stood completely in my power and spoken the truth.
I'm always playing someone grumpy or sad or grieving or downtrodden or stoic. As people get to know me within the industry, they know it's completely the opposite of what I'm like because I am a hyperactive, energetic ball.
So, I was a fan of 'Luther' from the first reading of the script and watching the first series. I think the actors in it are just brilliant, and I had never seen a black lead in the U.K. for so many years. That was quite a shocking moment for me.
My mum was very supportive, and I don't really understand why when I think of her humble beginnings. She grew up in one room with my grandma, my grand-dad and her siblings and a fire-pit outside to cook on. Now she's a homeowner in Manchester and has a business.
I think, for me, just trying to be the 'non-threatening black woman,' constantly being, like, super-bubbly! And relatable! It takes a lot of energy! The energy you have to put into playing into the system of white supremacy, so that you can be just given a chance.