Racism was never acceptable to the people who suffer from it. Roger Ross Williams More Quotes by Roger Ross Williams More Quotes From Roger Ross Williams 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. Roger Ross Williams movies start change people 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. Roger Ross Williams award win family i-can While shooting in Uganda in 2011, the conservative evangelical pastors I was filming - the most ardent supporters of the country's now infamous Anti-Homosexuality Bill - discovered that I myself am gay. Roger Ross Williams myself shooting gay country I had my own Land of Lost Sidekicks, where I pretended I lived in Paris with my best friend, a little cowboy based on a Marky Maypo doll. Roger Ross Williams friend best my-own best-friend The establishment wants to connect with people who are like them, and I wasn't. I'm a black gay man from a poor working-class family. Most of the people who look like me are in prison. Roger Ross Williams me man family people I didn't have a lot of exposure to films as a kid, and I never went to the cinema. I had a single mom who just planted me in front of the television. But while growing up, I lived in my own fantasy world. Roger Ross Williams me cinema mom world I will always make films that champion outsiders, because I still feel like one, even though I'm now governor of the documentary branch of the Academy. Roger Ross Williams will feel always champion I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to represent all the Rogers out there who don't have a seat at the table. People of colour were not at the table, and now I am there, I want to change things. Roger Ross Williams i-am change responsibility people All too often, white documentary filmmakers are the ones telling the stories of people of color. Roger Ross Williams documentary color white people While the documentary community is way ahead of Hollywood, it is still nowhere near where it needs to be. Filmmakers of color rarely get hired by the powerful production companies, and they are not getting supported enough by broadcasters and funders to tell their own stories. Roger Ross Williams community color powerful way