--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In high school, I developed a new love…" description: "\"“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 f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/issa-rae-11768_black-culture_in-high-school-i-developed-a-new-love-ac_555281.jpg" --- # In high school, I developed a new love: acting. I went to… ![“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…” quote by Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/issa-rae-11768_black-culture_in-high-school-i-developed-a-new-love-ac_555281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/issa-rae-11768_black-culture_in-high-school-i-developed-a-new-love-ac_555281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/issa-rae-11768_black-culture_in-high-school-i-developed-a-new-love-ac_555281.jpg) > ““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”” [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on how a diverse high school environment sparked a lifelong passion for acting and cultural immersion, urging Hollywood to learn from such inclusive communities. **In simple terms:** Diverse school life inspired a love for acting and cultural learning. Key Takeaway Seek diverse experiences to enrich creativity. Themes culture diversity art education media inclusion Mood reflective hopeful critical Type personal inspirational social When to use this quote - high school drama class - casting decisions - script selection - community outreach - cultural festivals Key Concepts intersectionality representation identity community learning Questions to Reflect On - How can you create spaces that celebrate cultural diversity? - What steps can media take to honor community stories? A Different Perspective Hollywood often overlooks authentic community narratives, limiting representation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-culture/) [Black family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-family/) [Black Latino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-latino-303890/) [Harlem Maricela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harlem-maricela-4614613/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Latino Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latino-drama-4614612/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Multicultural Cast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multicultural-cast-4614615/) [New Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-love/) [Rivera Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivera-year-4614614/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Every ghetto you go to, Latinos and blacks are the two people that are together. 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I'm everything and nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-d-humbly-like-to-become-an-inspiration-to-the-biracial-kids-who-are/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [I don't differentiate between black and Latino actors. We're in the same struggle to be represented in a way that's even close to honest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/i-don-t-differentiate-between-black-and-latino-actors-we-re-in-the/) [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/) > [America to me is where I grew up: in Brooklyn, around other black and Latino people who helped and loved each other. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jpegmafia/america-to-me-is-where-i-grew-up-in-brooklyn-around-other-black-and/) [JPEGMAFIA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jpegmafia/) > [I am both black and Latino - there's no need to artificially barricade one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-am-both-black-and-latino-there-s-no-need-to-artificially-barricade/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [People come up and say, 'Thank you' for showing a black family loving their masculine-presenting child and for undoing the myth of black people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/people-come-up-and-say-thank-you-for-showing-a-black-family-loving/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [“Black folk etymological theory posits that motherfucker was a term developed by the children of enslaved Africans in the United States. According to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-sammy-alim-and-geneva-smitherman/black-folk-etymological-theory-posits-that-motherfucker-was-a-term/) [H. Sammy Alim and Geneva Smitherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-sammy-alim-and-geneva-smitherman/) > [Theoretically, you can make, obviously, a powerful argument that centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination are the primary cause for all those gaps. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/theoretically-you-can-make-obviously-a-powerful-argument-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [My life was very compartmentalized. I went to a school that was all white, and then I went home and to my black family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chirlane-mccray/my-life-was-very-compartmentalized-i-went-to-a-school-that-was-all/) [Chirlane McCray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chirlane-mccray/) > [The welfare state has done to Black Americans what slavery (and Jim Crow and racism) could not have done. . .break up the black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/the-welfare-state-has-done-to-black-americans-what-slavery-and-jim/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I was the only mixed-race girl in my school, but for me, that was a positive thing; it made me unique. If it wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/i-was-the-only-mixed-race-girl-in-my-school-but-for-me-that-was-a/) [Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/) > [Even in 'Hollyoaks,' we were known as 'the black family' as opposed to just 'the new family.' But that's where we are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-whittle/even-in-hollyoaks-we-were-known-as-the-black-family-as-opposed-to/) [Ricky Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-whittle/) ## More by Issa Rae > [It's a bit cliche, but you can't go wrong by writing what you know. Even if you're a horrible writer, your own knowledge and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/it-s-a-bit-cliche-but-you-can-t-go-wrong-by-writing-what-you-know/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [“I needed to see more from my movies than the extremely tragic black woman, or the magic helpless Negro, or the many black men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-needed-to-see-more-from-my-movies-than-the-extremely-tragic-black/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I'm transitioning to television and film, but ultimately, I want to have a stronger presence on the web and be able to curate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-m-transitioning-to-television-and-film-but-ultimately-i-want-to/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I really want to be the black Tina Fey, where I just am able to produce my own content and produce other content for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-really-want-to-be-the-black-tina-fey-where-i-just-am-able-to/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [The black characters on TV are the sidekicks, or they're insignificant. You could put all the black sidekicks on one show, and it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/the-black-characters-on-tv-are-the-sidekicks-or-they-re-insignificant/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [You know, you have a lot of people - I've met a lot of people in the past, I've gone to private schools, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/you-know-you-have-a-lot-of-people-i-ve-met-a-lot-of-people-in-the/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [There's so many, 'no, black people aren't like that' barriers in mainstream media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/there-s-so-many-no-black-people-aren-t-like-that-barriers-in/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I personally don't feel any pressure to make jokes about multiple baby-fathers and stereotypical black jokes, because one, that's just not my life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-personally-don-t-feel-any-pressure-to-make-jokes-about-multiple/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I'm a social media addict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-m-a-social-media-addict/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [Especially being a woman of color, sometimes it's hard for to put our foot down. You work with a lot of men, and they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/especially-being-a-woman-of-color-sometimes-it-s-hard-for-to-put-our/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I'm always tempted to say, 'Nah, that won't work.' But I think you should be willing to try ideas out before saying no. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-m-always-tempted-to-say-nah-that-won-t-work-but-i-think-you-should/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [Every black film feels like it's Tyler Perry, and that just needs to stop. But people seem to slowly be looking for what else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/every-black-film-feels-like-it-s-tyler-perry-and-that-just-needs-to/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [“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”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/when-i-was-a-teenager-for-example-others-questioned-my-blackness/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [Sometimes if I'm stuck on something, I'll have a drink, and it'll get me inspired and ready to keep going. But the trick to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/sometimes-if-i-m-stuck-on-something-i-ll-have-a-drink-and-it-ll-get/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [I would love 'Awkward Black Girl' to be on television, with the right team of people who understand and get it. If 'Awkward Black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/i-would-love-awkward-black-girl-to-be-on-television-with-the-right/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) [Explore all 58 Issa Rae quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) ## More Black culture quotes > [What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/what-would-america-be-like-if-we-loved-black-people-as-much-as-we/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [A lot of white men in the music industry are promoting and participating in black culture in a way that is pretty careless. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelela/a-lot-of-white-men-in-the-music-industry-are-promoting-and/) [Kelela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelela/) > [In black culture, you know, we used to go swing dancing. We used to go out to go dance and actually have fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldlink/in-black-culture-you-know-we-used-to-go-swing-dancing-we-used-to-go/) [Goldlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldlink/) > [I will not perform in this city as long as the blatant targeting of black culture and minorities congregating is acceptable common practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/illmaculate/i-will-not-perform-in-this-city-as-long-as-the-blatant-targeting-of/) [Illmaculate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/illmaculate/) > [Year after year, author/historian William Loren Katz continues to mine the lodestone of Black culture, and it is simply amazing how often he manages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-boyd/year-after-year-author-historian-william-loren-katz-continues-to-mine/) [Herb Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-boyd/) > [“It is best to think of culture as a repertoire, like that of an actor,a musician, or a dancer. This image suggests that culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karyn-lacy/it-is-best-to-think-of-culture-as-a-repertoire-like-that-of-an-actor/) [Karyn Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karyn-lacy/) > [And I feel like, as a black man within black culture, I know very well firsthand - as do my parents and my grandparents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/and-i-feel-like-as-a-black-man-within-black-culture-i-know-very-well/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [Forget reparations - we need to rescue aspects of black culture abandoned even by black folks, whether it is the blues or home cookin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/forget-reparations-we-need-to-rescue-aspects-of-black-culture/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [You can't just say in one sentence what is blackness or what is black culture or what makes you who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-dolezal/you-can-t-just-say-in-one-sentence-what-is-blackness-or-what-is-black/) [Rachel Dolezal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-dolezal/) > [“My daughter is black and she has to know what it is like to be black. 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First, the blackness is a rhetorical device.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/people-ask-me-why-my-figures-have-to-be-so-black-there-are-a-lot-of/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) [Browse all 90 Black culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-culture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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. 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