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21 " Isn’t that the realest shit ever? "
― Issa Rae , The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl
22 " The discussion of representation is one that has been repeated over and over again, and the solution has always been that it’s up to us to support, promote, and create the images that we want to see. "
23 " Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t want to die alone, but spending quality time with myself 60 to 70 percent of the day is my idea of mecca. However, "
24 " I needed to see more from my movies than the extremely tragic black woman, or the magic helpless Negro, or the many black men in dresses. You "
25 " Then as the decade made way for the new millennium, cable exploded with its own original content and film studios began to obsess over international box office sales. Somewhere along the line, we became unrelatable and invisible to the Hollywood system. Our images and diverse portrayals just weren’t worth the dollars and effort anymore. The images I had grown up with and grown so accustomed to seeing slowly disappeared, and it seemed to happen all at once. "
26 " When I was a teenager, for example, others questioned my blackness because some of the life choices I made weren’t considered to be “black” choices: joining the swim team when it is a known fact that “black people don’t swim,” or choosing to become a vegetarian when blacks clearly love chicken. "
27 " promise.” The Not-Black Black: They’re quick to say, “Oh, I’m not black.” My favorite type of Not-Black Blacks claims to be Native American. “That’s why my hair is so good,” they’ll say. But ask them what tribe and they’ll either fall short or claim “Cherokee. "
28 " These Not-Black Blacks are typically Caribbean, African, not American, and/or mixed Americans. "
29 " I’m not the jealous type, but I’m the jealous type. "
30 " Everybody wants to be hood, but nobody really wants to be hood. In "
31 " If a company is only as good as its weakest employee, then what does that say about you and the job you hold? For "
32 " KEY PHRASES: “I don’t know”; “Really?”; “Where’s the chicken?”; “Cast down your bucket. "
33 " My comfort with food simply outweighed my determination to be a smaller size. "
34 " In high school, I developed a new love: acting. I went to a predominantly black and Latino school in Compton and, outside of television, this was my first true immersion in black culture. I had an inspiring drama teacher, a Jewish man who found the most amazing, hidden plays of color. There was On Striver’s Row, a play about an upper-middle-class black family in Harlem. Maricela de la Luz Lights the World, a fanciful and mystical Latino drama by José Rivera. And so much more. Every year for four years I was introduced to new diverse works, all while working with a multicultural cast. I only wish Hollywood could take a lesson from Compton. The "
35 " Asian men are frequently emasculated in the media, or presented as sexless props, for comedic relief. Oh, if only they could absorb the burden of black male stereotypes (genitalia exaggerations included), maybe their demand would increase. Maybe that would make all the difference. Instead, the plight of Asian men is nearly the same as that of black women, except for the fact that their women tend to marry white or “other” far more often. In fact, Asian Americans have the highest rate of intermarriage. Asian men, your reputation sucks too. This "
36 " Koreans are more inclined to marry black than any other Asian group. So black women, after college, maybe it’s a good idea to settle in Los Angeles or anywhere else where Koreatown is a hotspot. Asian men, your women are ditching you at an alarming rate; "
37 " Black people of all shapes, sizes, and personalities value the moisturizing product known as body lotion. Lotioning alleviates ashiness. To be “ashy” is to be unkempt. Lotioning is the very least one can do to be socially presentable and physically acceptable. Cocoa butter, shea butter, and aloe vera are black-people essentials; some treat the moisturizing process as a meditative ritual. Some use only as much as necessary to cover the ashiest areas (knuckles, elbows, and knees). But all understand its importance. "
38 " Is the lazy co-worker’s apathy a dis to your inner hard worker’s sense of ambition? "
39 " I thrive on obstacles. If I’m told that it can’t be told, then I push harder. "
― Issa Rae
40 " I don’t want to die alone, but spending quality time with myself 60 to 70 percent of the day is my idea of mecca. However, "