There are so many more women and men who deserve opportunities. People of color. Period.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of providing equal opportunities to all individuals, particularly underrepresented groups.
Octavia Spencer's quote highlights the need for inclusivity and equal opportunities for historically marginalized groups, such as women and people of color. It serves as a reminder that many talented individuals have yet to receive the chances they deserve due to systemic inequalities. By advocating for the recognition of these deserving individuals, Spencer calls for a more equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background.
In practice
During a speech at a diversity conference, you could quote this to emphasize the need for more inclusive hiring practices.
You have to get out of your comfort zone in order to grow. And as an actor, you don't become Meryl Streep by doing the same type of comedy. You get there by being challenged. And unfortunately, there's a lack of roles for women of color, so you actually have to be the engineer creating some of those roles.
I don't think there will ever be a time I don't write, and I hope there will never be a time I don't act.
There are so few roles out there. And even if it is a film that could be led by a black actress, how many times is that film going to get funded? Let's just be real. But it's not just black people. It's Asians, it's Hispanic people if you're not Salma Hayek. It's hard. It's hard to get films funded.
I think that young women and little girls need to see that they don't have to be the damsel in distress. They don't have to not show their strength. They don't have to be whatever the stereotype is or the tropes that we go to in our minds.
You just keep moving forward and doing what you do and hope that it resonates with people. And if it doesn't, you just keep moving on until you find a project that does.
I like to read, even though it was really tough, because I could go anywhere in the world in a book, and I could have so many adventures in a book.
A really great person is the person who makes every person feel great.
A leader has to show the face his team needs to see.
Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out.
If you believe in a security strategy - a strategy of more friends and fewer enemies, a strategy of greater cooperation and a strategy of keeping America better at home as we grow more diverse - we have to build the minds and hearts to build this kind of world.
The fact is that a woman who aspires to be chairman of the board - or a member of the House - does so for exactly the same reasons as any man. Basically, these are that she thinks she can do the job, and she wants to try.
A lot of these teams really forget that part of success comes with having veteran leadership. You see a lot of teams forget that and start letting go of these old veterans. They don't realize how important it is to have a veteran voice in your locker room or on the bench. It's important to have guys who have been there before.
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