00:00We live in a town that rewards pretending,
00:14and I had been pretending to be fierce and fearless for a very long time.
00:22I was a victim masquerading as a survivor.
00:29I stayed when I should have run.
00:35I was quiet when I should have spoken up,
00:39and I turned a blind eye to injustice instead of having the courage
00:44to stand up for what's right.
00:47I used to shrink in the presence of other dope, beautiful women.
00:53I used to revel in gossip and rumors,
01:01and I lived for the negativity inflicted upon my sister actresses
01:07or anyone who I felt whose shine diminished my own.
01:14I took joy in people's pain and I tap danced on their misery.
01:20I chased and accepted a love and a marriage that wasn't worthy of a date.
01:28I lived to hear, hey, if we'll go black, it'll totally be you.
01:36As if the routine exclusion of women of color in the casting process is okay,
01:42as long as I'm considered.
01:44You know, it's easy to pretend to be fierce and fearless because living your truth takes real courage.
01:52Real fearless and fierce women admit mistakes and they work to correct them.
02:00We stand up and we use our voices for things other than self-promotion.
02:10Real fierce and fearless women that we don't stand by and let racism and sexism and homophobia run rampant on our watch.
02:23We're real fierce and fearless women celebrate and compliment other women,
02:30and we recognize and embrace the notion that their shine in no way diminishes our light
02:37and that it actually makes our light shine brighter.
02:46So many of you guys that we have, if you ever signed in on the Monica Swan casting sheet,
02:52you know, we've all been there.
02:55So many of you guys in this room, we're sisters.
02:58We don't always get to see each other and it's dope to see you guys here today.
03:03Women who we've laughed with and we've cried with and we've struggled with.
03:07Thank you for not turning your back on me.
03:09Thank you for not tap dancing on my misery even when I wasn't always returning the favor.
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