Lena Waithe

“Maybe some young girl seeing me on the Emmy stage may have meant something for them.”

“I'm a big believer in writing really good dialogue.”

“Things meant to appeal to the masses usually end up appealing to no one.”

“Being a black person in America is exhausting.”

“For me, it's about making art that's not good but phenomenal. James Baldwin didn't want to just stay above the fray. Prince didn't think, 'I wonder what the industry is gonna think about 'Purple Rain.'' It's just, is this honest? Is this real? Does this move me? The rest is icing.”

“I'm a huge fan of television, and the reason I'm a part of the world is because I'm a fan of it.”

“I'm a big fan of Nora Ephron, who believed everything is copy, and I agree.”

“My family still lives in Chicago: my mother, my sister, my nephew, my family is there. So even though I am not living there, I feel very close to it, and I visit very often.”

“With success always comes mimicry.”

“The thing for me is to always tell the truth. Not to preach, but to tell the truth.”

“I write for my people.”

“If you think you aren't valid for whatever reason, let my existence and the way the world embraces my existence tell you that you are valid. You deserve to look, live, and walk through the world however you see fit. That's why I find it extremely important to be so out, so black, and so myself.”

“I think that for the most part, black people specifically have sort of been used as props in TV shows as a way to move story along or as a way to make things more entertaining.”

“I had a lot of great bosses - I worked for Gina Prince-Bythewood for two years, I worked for Ava Duvernay as a PA on her first narrative film, and I worked with Mara Brock Akil, so a lot of wonderful role models.”

“I'm a big sneaker head.”

“Growing up, I didn't just watch 'The Cosby Show.' I watched 'Growing Pains' and 'Family Ties,' too.”

“I can't stop my comedic voice.”

“It's weird because I see black gay characters on television all the time, but do I relate to them? Not always, because they're set pieces.”

“What's 'Atlanta' about? Technically, it's about a couple guys who are friends, but to me, 'Atlanta' is about black lives. I'm getting a real look at what black life means in Atlanta.”

“I never want to feel too far away from people. I think that's when you get in trouble.”