Luvvie Ajayi Quotes

But I understand the importance of being a brown, Muslim woman of faith who is in the public eye, because there aren't that many of us.

If a CEO takes an interest in you and he happens to be an Asian man, then that's great, but as an African-American woman, you want to make sure that if the executive vice-president of the company is an African-American woman that you get to know her.

In order for you to find a job, people need to know you're looking.

There needs to be more deliberate effort on the part of folks at VC firms to bring in a more diverse team of talent. You have to make a more concerted effort to bring in people who are different and who may not be in your network.

I have a vested interest in increasing the amount of diversity in my own business. That's something that I care about. So mentoring people who are trying to break into the business who could use a hand, that's the type of person I look for.

I can't tell you how many resumes we get from business schools across the country from black women and black men and Hispanic women, men, etcetera, who say I'm interested in working for your company because they can see someone at the top who looks like them.

I want to see as many black professionals as possible.

I always look at things half full and definitely see a change in how things are going as far as black actresses and their opportunities.

More Asians need to be on television as a positive role model.

I'm just really thankful to have the chance to portray a character you don't see every day.

You always have to avoid working for the sake of putting yourself out there.

I never really marketed myself, so each job I was given was a new marketing tool, and that would be the way I marketed myself.

It matters whether women sit at the table. No one speaks up for you when you are standing outside with your nose pressed up against the glass. You cannot window-shop for power.

As I got further into my career, as a character of color, if I was going to have the types of opportunities I felt I deserved, and continue to have them, I was going to have to start creating those opportunities for myself.

In a television interview, I said that diversity in our children's books should include the adventures of disabled children, travellers and gipsies, LGBT teens, different cultures, classes, colours, religions. It shouldn't be a token gesture, nor do such stories need to be 'issue-based'.

I'm not trying to climb a ladder - I'm casting a bit of a net.

My hope is that shows like 'Fresh Off the Boat' open the door for even more of those kinds of characters for Asian actors and actresses.

I believe in diversity in front of and behind the camera.

'Glee' is one of the very few mainstream outlets that is giving a voice to communities of people that don't necessarily have a loud voice, specifically the gay community. It gives a really positive and forward statement.

Like any director working today, I started out when somebody took a shot at hiring me. It's how we all start out - male, female, white or minority.

I think people tend to apply where they think the greatest opportunities lie.

In America, I am brown; I'm 'of colour', so I would be offered Latin roles, and I've fought against that. I don't want to be put in a category, to be just offered the same sort of thing. For me, it's all about different roles, telling the stories of the great writers.

Ultimately, I think it's just going to get you that exposure, get you in that door, get you that recognition that will hopefully get you opportunities.

There's a burden of representation that comes into play when there aren't enough representatives of a certain group in popular culture.

As an Asian-American actor, I believe it is important to never settle for the status quo. I feel a responsibility to do everything in my power to create positive perceptions of Asian Americans through my work.