30 Roger Ross Williams Quotes for You to Enjoy

Roger Ross Williams

American Producer

Born: Sep 16, 1970

About Black Community Gay Me People

Related authors: Aaron Sorkin David O. Selznick Gene Roddenberry Jimmy Iovine Robert Wise Samuel Goldwyn Shonda Rhimes Suge Knight

All racism is wrong, and denying that it exists does not make it go away. Roger Ross Williams

Racism Go Away Wrong Make Does Go Exists Denying Away

I want to look at the community I came from and what role incarceration has played there. Roger Ross Williams

Community Look Came Role Want Incarceration Played

I think we have to work with Hollywood. We have to work in the system and change it. Roger Ross Williams

Work Change Think System Hollywood

'God Loves Uganda' is a powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to change African culture with values imported from America's Christian Right. The film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting 'sexual immorality' and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow Biblical law. Roger Ross Williams

God Bible Change Culture Law Values Fighting Christian Immorality Religious Sexual Follow Religious Leaders Follows Leaders Powerful Missionaries Uganda Imported Campaign America Trying American African Loves Convince Exploration Evangelical Film Right Christian Right

I escaped my destiny. The odds were that I would end up in prison, but I didn't. Roger Ross Williams

Prison Odds Destiny Would Were End Up Escaped

I'm a recovering journalist, I should say. Roger Ross Williams

Journalist Say Recovering Should

My father was a religious leader in the community, and my sister is a pastor. Roger Ross Williams

Father Leader Sister Community Religious Pastor

Hollywood has to diversify. Roger Ross Williams

Diversify Hollywood

The Academy just reflects Hollywood. And until we break those barriers, until we have African-American or minority studio executives, 'til we have people who are greenlighting movies with African-American actors - the Academy is not going to change until Hollywood changes, so we have to start with Hollywood. Roger Ross Williams

While shooting in Uganda in 2011, the conservative evangelical pastors I was filming - the most ardent supporters of the country's now infamous Anti-Homosexuality Bill - discovered that I myself am gay. Roger Ross Williams

Myself Gay Conservative Country Ardent Supporters Most Am Uganda Discovered Infamous Pastors Shooting While Bill Evangelical Now Filming

The establishment wants to connect with people who are like them, and I wasn't. I'm a black gay man from a poor working-class family. Most of the people who look like me are in prison. Roger Ross Williams

Family Me Gay Man People Black Prison Like Look Most Establishment Wants Them Poor Working-Class Who Connect

The relationship between a director and an editor in documentaries is so important. Roger Ross Williams

Relationship Director Important Between Documentaries Editor

I will always make films that champion outsiders, because I still feel like one, even though I'm now governor of the documentary branch of the Academy. Roger Ross Williams

Champion Will Films Though Outsiders Feel Like Academy Documentary Make Because Always Still Governor Branch Even Now

I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to represent all the Rogers out there who don't have a seat at the table. People of colour were not at the table, and now I am there, I want to change things. Roger Ross Williams

Change People Responsibility Believe Change Things Meetings Out Spielberg Table Take Colour Steven Steven Spielberg Am Were Rogers Sitting Represent Want Who Tom Tom Hanks Now Seat Things

All too often, white documentary filmmakers are the ones telling the stories of people of color. Roger Ross Williams

People White Too Telling Color Documentary Often Stories Filmmakers

While the documentary community is way ahead of Hollywood, it is still nowhere near where it needs to be. Filmmakers of color rarely get hired by the powerful production companies, and they are not getting supported enough by broadcasters and funders to tell their own stories. Roger Ross Williams

Needs Own Community Enough Broadcasters Way Tell Rarely Color Supported Powerful Documentary Still Hired Get Getting Where Stories While Hollywood Production Companies Near Nowhere Filmmakers

When I decided to make 'Blackface,' a short film about Black Pete, I had little knowledge of the giant cesspool of hate I was about to dive into. I didn't realize how popular and passionate many white Dutch are about a figure that they connect to fond memories from their childhood. Roger Ross Williams

Knowledge Memories Hate Black White Giant About Dive Fond Fond Memories Had Make How Passionate Dutch Childhood Short Short Film Decided Little Realize Figure Connect Cesspool Many Popular Film

I'm definitely drawn to stories about outsiders. Feeling like that myself as a gay black man, I often seek to give a voice to those in the world who don't have one. Roger Ross Williams

Myself Gay Man World Black Feeling Those Definitely Drawn Seek About Give Voice Outsiders Like Often Stories Who

I grew up in a Southern Baptist-style church with a choir, a band, and music, but I've been asking myself my whole life, 'Why is my own church, my own community, rejecting me because of my sexuality?' Roger Ross Williams

I went to church every Sunday and sang in the choir. But for all that the church gave me - for all that it represented belonging, love and community - it also shut its doors to me as a gay person. That experience left me with the lifelong desire to explore the power of religion to transform lives or destroy them. Roger Ross Williams

Love Religion Me Gay Experience Church Sunday Power Doors Community Every Every Sunday Gave Destroy Lifelong Also Left Person Transform Them Choir Explore Sang Lives Shut Belonging Desire

The American evangelical movement in Africa does valuable work in helping the poor. Roger Ross Williams

Work Valuable Does American Africa Movement Poor Evangelical Helping

It is important for American congregations to hold their churches accountable for what their money does in Africa. Roger Ross Williams

Money Important Churches Does Accountable American Africa Hold

Roger Ross Williams Quotes

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