The call for diversity is about recognizing that in order to be in the conversation come awards season, it goes back to the content that is being produced.
Mahershala AliRead
When I was growing up, I was told you could be anything you want to be, but I didn't really believe that because you couldn't be president. Like, I knew that; we never had a black president.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the struggle of believing in one's potential amidst societal limitations.
Mahershala Ali's quote highlights the intersection of childhood dreams and the harsh realities of race in America. Growing up, he was encouraged to pursue any ambition, but the lack of representation at the highest levels of leadership instilled doubt in the possibility of achieving such dreams, particularly for someone of his background. It underscores the impact of systemic barriers on personal aspirations and the need for change in societal perceptions.
In practice
In a motivational speech addressing young students about their future.
The call for diversity is about recognizing that in order to be in the conversation come awards season, it goes back to the content that is being produced.
I think if you have any desire to be a leading man or to really carry some of these stories, there's this relationship that has to be cultivated with an audience. People have to be able to say your name.
To really be conscious of how long the journey is, be patient, push yourself, persevere, and always be working on your craft while waiting for your break. That's what I'm still working on, having done this for 20 years now.
Your life, your circumstances change, and you have to continue to grow as a person, and once you have means and opportunity, you have to make different choices to protect what you have.
To get to play someone who was in some capacity the King of Harlem, that meant something to me. Deep within my bones. I was inspired by the energy that I knew to be a real thing.
I remember clearly, when I was about 4, my Aunt Linda said, 'I'm not babysitting him no more. He's bad.' It was one of the first conscious shifts I remember making. I decided, 'I'm going to be good now.'
Our minds become magnetized with the dominating thoughts we hold in our minds and these magnets attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.
The triumph can't be had without the struggle.
Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavement, even if it leads nowhere?
That's the way I've always played the game from when I was a kid. It didn't matter if we were up or down in the game, how it was going, how you felt, you played until the end.
Determination is the wake-up call to the human will.
Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late. Some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in Good Things to Come.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.