Being a black lesbian myself, I roll my eyes a little bit when I see black lesbian characters on shows where it's purely there for decoration. You can just hear it in the writers room... 'What if we make her a lesbian?'
Lena WaitheRead
As a black woman in the industry, you really do have to hold your head higher, stick your chest out, be kind and polite and generous even when you don't want to be sometimes. I learned that and, also, just to never take no for an answer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Lena Waithe emphasizes the importance of resilience and positivity in the face of adversity, particularly for black women in the industry.
In this quote, Lena Waithe shares her experiences as a black woman navigating the entertainment industry, highlighting the need for strength, kindness, and perseverance. She stresses that despite challenges and moments of discouragement, it is essential to maintain dignity and determination, persistently striving to overcome obstacles and refusing to accept rejection.
Themes
ResilienceKindnessPerseveranceStrengthConfidence
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming barriers in the workplace.
More from Lena Waithe
All quotes βIt's weird because I see black gay characters on television all the time, but do I relate to them? Not always, because they're set pieces.
Lena WaitheRead
The cool thing about dope black style becoming in style is that the industry has no choice but to try and reduplicate that.
Lena WaitheRead
For me, it's about making art that's not good but phenomenal. James Baldwin didn't want to just stay above the fray. Prince didn't think, 'I wonder what the industry is gonna think about 'Purple Rain.'' It's just, is this honest? Is this real? Does this move me? The rest is icing.
Lena WaitheRead
Being born gay, black, and female is not a revolutionary act. Being proud to be a gay black female is.
Lena WaitheRead
I don't want to be white. I don't want to be straight. I don't want to blend in.
Lena WaitheRead
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