I'm definitely drawn to stories about outsiders. Feeling like that myself as a gay black man, I often seek to give a voice to those in the world who don't have one.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the importance of amplifying the voices of marginalized individuals, especially as experienced by the speaker as a gay black man.
Roger Ross Williams reflects on his personal connection to the experience of feeling like an outsider due to his identity. He emphasizes his commitment to storytelling that highlights the struggles and voices of marginalized communities, advocating for those who might otherwise remain unheard in society. This perspective underscores the significance of representation and the power of narrative in fostering empathy and understanding among diverse groups.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of diversity in storytelling.
While the documentary community is way ahead of Hollywood, it is still nowhere near where it needs to be. Filmmakers of color rarely get hired by the powerful production companies, and they are not getting supported enough by broadcasters and funders to tell their own stories.
When I was in high school, I felt totally alienated from the world, but I loved movies. They were my escape, but coming from a disadvantaged community, I never knew that filmmaking was an option for me. A program like School of Doc would have been a game-changer.
There will be gay couples; it will exist. It is not very nice that people who are married - who divorce in three seconds - donβt want protection for the others. The legal system should protect everyone, not just the few people who think they are above everybody else because they are married.
I think that women of color use social media to make our voices heard with or without the amplification of white women. I also think that, many times, when white women want our support, they use an umbrella of 'women supporting women' and forget that they didn't lend the same kind of support.
Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.
Gays and lesbians are our friends, neighbors, doctors, colleagues, sisters and brothers.
Does having a wife and kids change your act? Yes, but only in the best way. It gives you weight and authority. It also makes you closer to the audience because the audience is married and has kids.
You are not reconciled to God if you are unreconciled with your fellow human beings.
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