--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m a black woman who is from Central…" description: "\"I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. I’m dark skinned. I’m quirky. I’m shy. I’m strong. I’m guarded. I’m weak at times. I’m sensu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/viola-davis-1174_black_i-m-a-black-woman-who-is-from-central-fa_277488.jpg" --- # I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island… ![“I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. I’m dark skinned. I’m quirky. I’m shy. I’m strong. I’m guarded. I’m weak at times. I’m sensual. I’m not overtly sexual. I am so many things in so many ways and I will never see myself on screen. And the reason I will never see myself up on…” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/viola-davis-1174_black_i-m-a-black-woman-who-is-from-central-fa_277488.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/viola-davis-1174_black_i-m-a-black-woman-who-is-from-central-fa_277488.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/viola-davis-1174_black_i-m-a-black-woman-who-is-from-central-fa_277488.jpg) > “I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. I’m dark skinned. I’m quirky. I’m shy. I’m strong. I’m guarded. I’m weak at times. I’m sensual. I’m not overtly sexual. I am so many things in so many ways and I will never see myself on screen. And the reason I will never see myself up on screen is because that does not translate with being black.” [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ## 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 expresses a complex identity, feeling that her multifaceted self‑does not fit mainstream media representation for Black women. **In simple terms:** She feels unseen on screen because her identity feels untranslatable. Key Takeaway Recognize and celebrate diverse Black identities. Themes identity representation media race self‑acceptance Mood reflective determined hopeful Type personal social cultural When to use this quote - casting decisions - media production - personal storytelling - community advocacy Key Concepts intersectionality visibility stereotype cultural narrative Questions to Reflect On - How can creators broaden representation of Black women? - What steps can individuals take to claim their narratives? A Different Perspective Media often simplifies identities, limiting authentic representation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-women/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark skin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-skin/) [Dark skinned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-skinned/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Rhode island](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhode-island/) [Sensual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensual/) ## Related quotes > [If you just look at the fact that a woman was central in twittering the Cairo revolution, and women were central to the Tunisian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/if-you-just-look-at-the-fact-that-a-woman-was-central-in-twittering/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [For black people who are really dark - and a lot of black people were averse to be dark skinned - it was believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/for-black-people-who-are-really-dark-and-a-lot-of-black-people-were/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“She was young and old, fat and thin, dark skinned and fair. In an instant, she was every woman in the world, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/she-was-young-and-old-fat-and-thin-dark-skinned-and-fair-in-an/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“The number-one draft pick or the up-and-coming action hero will never choose me, because I’m dark skinned,” my friend said. On the other hand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/the-number-one-draft-pick-or-the-up-and-coming-action-hero-will-never/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“I just assumed that at the time if I could display a talent worthy of praise. . . that I wasn't just who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabourey-sidibe/i-just-assumed-that-at-the-time-if-i-could-display-a-talent-worthy-of/) [Gabourey Sidibe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabourey-sidibe/) > [Working hard - that's South Sudan. We're tall, dark skinned, beautiful - I'm always proud of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thon-maker/working-hard-that-s-south-sudan-we-re-tall-dark-skinned-beautiful-i-m/) [Thon Maker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thon-maker/) > [Does a black person make them an African American? No. There are Hispanics that are very, very dark skinned so the word has lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-grier/does-a-black-person-make-them-an-african-american-no-there-are/) [Pam Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-grier/) > [It's just one of those things coming off the boat, especially in New York City. I didn't have style. I was dark skinned -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uriah-hall/it-s-just-one-of-those-things-coming-off-the-boat-especially-in-new/) [Uriah Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uriah-hall/) > [I saw the things that my sister went through - she's dark skinned - with boys not considering her attractive in her youth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-duke/i-saw-the-things-that-my-sister-went-through-she-s-dark-skinned-with/) [Bill Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-duke/) > [My mother was a woman. A black woman. A single mother. Raising two kids on her own. So she was dark skinned. Had short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/my-mother-was-a-woman-a-black-woman-a-single-mother-raising-two-kids/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“breath, life after seven decades plus three years is a lot of breathing. seventy three years on this earth is a lot of taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haki-r-madhubuti/breath-life-after-seven-decades-plus-three-years-is-a-lot-of/) [Haki R. Madhubuti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haki-r-madhubuti/) > [Can we first take care of our 'brown lives matter' in India and then worry about the U.S.? I find it bizarre that racism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaba-gupta/can-we-first-take-care-of-our-brown-lives-matter-in-india-and-then/) [Masaba Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaba-gupta/) > [Got a light skinned friend, look like Michael Jackson, Got a dark skinned friend, look like Michael Jackson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/got-a-light-skinned-friend-look-like-michael-jackson-got-a-dark/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [“Being that the \*historical\* Jesus was of pure Hebraic descent- lineage of Eber- He was not an Arab or of Arabic descent, therefore He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/being-that-the-historical-jesus-was-of-pure-hebraic-descent-lineage/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [Yeah, racist people look at me like I'm a martian, Check the card, yeah my money lookin dark skinned, Tell the bank teller the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/yeah-racist-people-look-at-me-like-i-m-a-martian-check-the-card-yeah/) [Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/) ## More by Viola Davis > [I look back at pictures of myself and I remember thinking, "I was so fat when I was growing up. I was 165 pounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-look-back-at-pictures-of-myself-and-i-remember-thinking-i-was-so/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am not a glam woman - this definitely is a mask I put on for the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-not-a-glam-woman-this-definitely-is-a-mask-i-put-on-for-the/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I was bullied at school. The black girl in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in 1973. There'd be 8 or 10 boys; I would count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-was-bullied-at-school-the-black-girl-in-central-falls-rhode-island/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's why there's so much bad acting out there, because you could see actors watching themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-why-there-s-so-much-bad-acting-out-there-because-you-could-see/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I want my work to reflect my level of gifts and talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-want-my-work-to-reflect-my-level-of-gifts-and-talent/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I don’t want anyone putting any limits on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-don-t-want-anyone-putting-any-limits-on-me/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ I think that's why August \[Wilson\] named her Rose \[in "Fences"\]; I really do. She's a rose in her sweetness and her kindness and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-think-that-s-why-august-wilson-named-her-rose-in-fences-i-really-do/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I suffered from low self-esteem for much of my life. And now to feel like maybe something that I'm projecting or saying could mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-suffered-from-low-self-esteem-for-much-of-my-life-and-now-to-feel/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-tell-my-daughter-every-morning-now-what-are-the-two-most-important/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I started a production company out of necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-started-a-production-company-out-of-necessity-the-need-for-great/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-always-the-biggest-surprise-when-people-meet-me-how-buoyant-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out-2/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ It was hard, that confrontation scene \[in "Fences"\], that was a hard one. I felt like it was relentless, I never felt like I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/it-was-hard-that-confrontation-scene-in-fences-that-was-a-hard-one-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am addicted to any facial product that's anti-aging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-addicted-to-any-facial-product-that-s-anti-aging/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Explore all 279 Viola Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. I’m dark skinned. I’m quirky. I’m shy. I’m strong. I’m guarded. I’m weak at times. I’m sensual. I’m not overtly sexual. I am so many things in so many ways and I will never see myself on screen. 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