31 Quotes by Jodie Turner-Smith

My family is Jamaican. We were just the slaves that were dropped off over there. And at the end of the day when you live and exist as a Black person in America, at least to white society, to a certain extent, no one is asking where you're from and where you were born.

When I first started in modeling, I went back to England, and it was really hard, because I would go around to the agencies and they would be like, 'We already have one mixed-race black girl.'

We definitely experience racism in England and different levels of oppression as well. Anywhere affected by colonialism there's certain kinds of race relations and class relations going on.

People are making a lot more noise about representation and diversity. But I think modeling is one of the professions where people can be kind of racist.

What's unique about America is that the country itself was built upon oppression, it's in the very foundation.

The fact that I'm being cast in a show to play a female lead and I'm the dark-skinned Black woman with short hair, it's so incredible.

I am deeply moved by sculptures of powerful women.

I think there's always been a little performer in me. But having a family that are Jamaican immigrants, having this idea that, 'Oh, that's what you're going to do for a living?' seems kind of out of reach and not a reality. It's like, 'get a real job.'

No offense to anybody from Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh wasn't for me.