When you hear these stories about different cases of police brutality, don't even just make that person just another hashtag, another statistic. That is somebody's father, brother, sister, mother - be more aware of what that means.
KiKi Layne
If you're good at your job, you're good at your job regardless of being male, female, whatever. Either you're a good director or you're not, and there are plenty of bad male directors.
I'm not going to sit around and wait for some old studio executive to decide my career path.
It's not about opening a door and shutting it right behind you. I want to keep it open so others can come behind me.
Growing up, my favorite movie was 'The Lion King.' I used to watch it every day and create these extravagant stories with my Barbies and stuffed animals. My dad says I would say the entire movie out loud, and it's still the one VHS that I have.
We witness so many people lose themselves in this industry, and sacrifice who they really are for success and accolades.
That is the thing that brought the Black community through so many of the hardships that we've faced historically. It's the ability to love and laugh and experience joy still in so many ways.
An unlikely source of inspiration? My nieces and nephews. I feel encouraged to keep going because I know that if I keep going, then I can tell them to keep going.
I've determined my style - I like to call it elegant funk. You'll see me in some really beautiful gowns but I'll still have my septum piercing in.
Once upon a time you could actually unplug and it wasn't, like, a weird thing. Now your friends will say, 'I'm fasting from social media.'
I used to have really bad acne and so there's a cream and a gel that I use.
The texture my hair, my skin tone; it does work, you don't have to change. But historically we've seen fashion try to change that: straighten your hair, thrown on a super straight silky wig, lighten your skin tone.
Fashion, film, and music - all these industries have ways of putting us in a box. Ultimately my goal is to push those boundaries.
It's not lost on me to have the ability to be wearing custom Dior or Gucci, with my box braids or my bantu knots. It's another opportunity to show that Black girls belong in these places and that what I naturally bring as a Black girl belongs as well.
I think the biggest thing is reminding myself how hard I worked for it,' Layne continues. 'It wasn't just handed to me. I trained so hard; I've been so committed.
I started off with the flute and French horn, and then I was playing trumpet in the jazz band.
I definitely want to get into producing. I want to be on the side of the table where I can give people jobs.
My mom put me into a performing arts elementary school back in Cincinnati, so I started studying acting in school when I was seven.
My favorite artist is J. Cole. I like Kehlani a lot. Teyana Taylor is dope too.
We all have those moments when you're sitting in your feelings and you're sitting in your thoughts and you're taking in what your current situation is.
Some things shoot in Chicago, but even those things that shoot there still cast their bigger roles in L.A. or New York.
To me Kate Spade represents a woman who still has stuff to get done. She's like, 'yeah I'm stylish but I need to be comfortable and able to move.' I'm excited to be a part of a brand that's meaningful to women in that way.
What does it mean when I wear something that makes me look like a Disney Princess? Versus something that's like 'ooh, maybe Kiki Layne can be a sex symbol.' Because these are things that, sometimes dark skin actors with natural hair, we don't get put into those types of conversations.
I'm not one of those people that's like, 'I'm about to serve on this Whitney Houston song at like 2 A.M.' No. Karaoke? I'm just like, 'Live your best life.' We're not worried about those notes, we just living.
I want to have the kind of career in which I'm accomplished and respected enough that I'm able to open doors for other people, especially those who look like me. That's what happiness and success could look like for me.
I'm not going to ever feel bad about sharing what my dreams are.
Like, no, I can really be queen of the universe. I can be president. I can be, I don't know, an alien from Venus. Like you could just seriously... and that's the fun of acting.
For young girls to see someone who looks more like her, doing and being her. That's where my ambition and drive comes from, it's being so insanely committed to that. To achieve that, I'm doing everything I can.
The thing about tarot - maybe this to me is the difference between it and working with a psychic - to me it's clarifying the things that you already know. I don't feel like any tarot reading I've done or received was particularly surprising. They always speak to things that you kind of felt already.
Instead of asking for permission, we're seeing more artists and creatives taking control over the stories we tell.
I think especially when depicting young love, so often we see young love where you're just all about this other person, where you're willing to do everything, anything, wherever they need you to be.
Aaliyah is my favorite singer.
Hollywood has had a very limited way of telling stories about black people.
I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.
When men are put into these types of circumstances like Bigger in 'Native Son,' or Fonny in 'Beale Street,' it destroys relationships, their love, their relationships with their children - it's under attack.
I'm trying to be what I want to see more of: Black women onscreen.
That love and loyalty, that groundedness, is always there. I got the type of family that no matter how far I go in Hollywood, they will quickly remind me who the hell I am and where the hell I came from.
It's amazing to me how quickly the industry will try to put you into a box. It's like, I did 'Beale Street.' And they decided now, all of a sudden, 'Oh, okay. KiKi Layne does those little quiet indie dramas.' I'm like, 'No! That's just where I got started.'
Most Sagittariuses start off really reserved. You gotta check people out, see what they're about, and then once we decide you're cool, then that's when we become super fun and really outgoing. But first we gotta make sure everybody's cool.
I think I learned the value of being more patient with myself.
Love & Basketball' has stuck with me since I first saw it.
I used to climb trees and ride my bike way too fast downhill.
My mom knew we were going to call me Kiki by birth. I think she had the nickname before she had my name, and she then found the name that would allow that.
It's just always been in my heart to perform.
Well, I used to model back in high school, and I was one of those people that, every week I was tuning in to 'America's Next Top Model.'
I just think the way Regina King carries herself in this industry is something to strive for. Even though she's been in the business as long as she has, she's still just one of the most genuine, realest people I've met so far. And so watching her, I realize that I don't have to change who I am at the core in order to have a career.
It means so much to be a part of bringing James Baldwin's words to life.
I'm just hoping that, as more black artists take control of the narratives that are out there, more opportunities will come around for artists of colour. We want to make the same waves that the white artists do.
The only thing I'm sure of is that I want to keep doing work that speaks to me.
I'm very grateful to Barry Jenkins, who took a chance on me.
