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Every time I go to Africa, I feel like I hit true north. There is a depth of feeling that I have for the continent, in the richness of the people, the suffering , but also the transcendent joy that is there - it's like nowhere else on the planet.
David Oyelowo
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a profound connection and appreciation for Africa, highlighting its beauty and the complexity of human experience.

David Oyelowo's quote reflects his deep emotional bond with Africa, describing it as a place where he finds clarity and purpose ('true north'). He acknowledges both the struggles of its people and the extraordinary joy found within the continent, suggesting that Africa has a unique and invaluable richness that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Themes

AfricaJoyPeopleConnectionRichnessDepthSuffering

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about cultural understanding, one could reference this quote to emphasize the importance of recognizing both the struggles and joys within African communities.

More from David Oyelowo

I had always known that I couldn't play Dr. King purely out of my own ability as an actor. When you look at him give those speeches, you can tell that he is taken up by something other than himself. He is flowing with an anointing that is directly from God.
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I grew up watching period dramas, as we all did in the 1980s and '90s - endless adaptations of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens - and I loved them. But I never saw anyone like me in them, so I decided to find a story to erode the excuses for me not doing one.
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You will never, I think, fully conquer the play. Every night, you see this Everest before you. It's that two, three hours and the audience, and you'd better tell the truth.
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Generally speaking, we as black people have been celebrated more for when we are subservient when we are not being leaders or kings or in the center of our own narrative driving it forward.
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Excellence is the best weapon against prejudice. I intend to be part of the solution and not the problem. You've just got to keep on banging out good performances.
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What we usually do to great men and women is relegate them to homogenised heroism. Their words and actions become soundbites and images in a way that gives us an excuse not to act bravely in our own lives.
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