Roger Ross Williams

“What is so attractive about Uganda for missionaries is that they have free rein. They can go anywhere they please - schools, hospitals, the parliament.”

“All racism is wrong, and denying that it exists does not make it go away.”

“Imagine that you're a gay man, and you're spending all your time with people who believe you are possessed by the devil. Or, in the case of a lot of Ugandans, with people who believe you should be killed. Someone told me once that I'm worse than a dog, I'm the scum of the earth, so for me, it was draining.”

“There are simply too many Academy members who were voted in during a less inclusive era and still remain a large voting bloc even though they haven't worked in the field for decades.”

“Often, films about people with disabilities are from the outside looking in.”

“I grew up in the church, and I went into the production of 'God Loves Uganda' intending to raise awareness of the abuse of religious power in Uganda, and after 30 public appearances, I have learned a lot about how people receive this sort of message.”

“The long journey I've taken from where I started, and to end up at the Governors Awards as a governor - it was an emotional and powerful moment for me.”

“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.”

“I came from a very poor family. And I was able to rise up and actually win an Academy Award. And if I can do it, then any kid can do it.”

“I think we have to work with Hollywood. We have to work in the system and change it.”

“I love 'Jungle Book' and all the classics growing up, but what I learned about this is that these Disney films are basically classic fables that have been told for thousands of years.”

“Everyone has relationships. Breakups are hard. Everyone graduates from school.”

“I had kind of a rough childhood, so I created my own reality.”

“My father was a religious leader in the community, and my sister is a pastor.”

“The more I learned about religion in Africa, the more intrigued I became. It was as if the continent was gripped with religious fervor. And the center of it was Uganda.”

“When I visited Africa to make my film 'Music by Prudence,' I was struck by how intensely religious and socially conservative Africans were. There was literally a church on every corner.”

“Expectations that black directors have to make black films about black subject matter are, to me, kind of absurd.”

“My mother worked as a maid, cleaning the fraternity dorm of the local college.”

“I felt like I was an outsider growing up in the black church, as a gay man, in a poor community.”

“The American evangelical movement in Africa does valuable work in helping the poor.”