The more I'm pushed in a position of leadership and I know I have to be the mouthpiece for so many other people who can't speak for themselves, the more confidence I'm gaining.
Viola DavisRead
We didn't have money all the time to do laundry. A lot of the time, we didn't have soap or hot water. We were smart kids academically, but we'd go to school smelling.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the struggles of poverty and the resilience of children despite difficult circumstances.
Viola Davis shares a personal memory from her childhood that highlights the challenges faced by her family due to financial hardships. Despite not having basic necessities like money for laundry, soap, or hot water, her family valued education and intelligence, demonstrating the determination and strength of character that can arise from difficult situations. This quote emphasizes that one's circumstances do not define their intellect or potential.
Themes
PovertyStruggleResilienceEducationDetermination
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming adversity, this quote can illustrate the power of resilience in children's lives.
More from Viola Davis
All quotes →What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting.
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I don't care if someone is new to acting or experienced in acting: you always learn something from them. It's just like people in life - whether they're young or middle-aged or old, you always learn something from someone.
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I don't see a lot of narratives written where a woman who looks like me gets to be beautiful and sexualized and upwardly mobile, middle-class, funny, quirky. They're very seldom written.
Viola DavisRead
And that's what people want to see when they go to the theater. I believe at the end of the day, they want to see themselves - parts of their lives they can recognize. And I feel if I can achieve that, it's pretty spectacular.
Viola DavisRead
There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear.
Viola DavisRead
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