Best Ava DuVernay Quotes That Teaches You How To Persevere Your Sanity Through Adversity

Ava DuVernay was born on August 24, 1972, in California. She is a prolific writer, producer, and filmmaker. With several accolades and nominations. Also, she has accomplished an unfathomable feat via sheer grit. She often describes herself as a “storyteller,” underlining how she is a filmmaker to her bones. Ava is a proud African-American woman who built her career from the ground up. Her key driving forces are her love for films and her desire. And resolve to prove that even a black woman without a privileged background can make something of herself.

Ava was reared by her mother, who was a teacher, and her stepfather, who also has four siblings. Surprisingly, Ava did not discover her passion for filmmaking until she was 32 years old. Before embarking on her filmmaking journey, she dabbled in a few careers. Her first job was as a journalist when she interned with CBS News and was entrusted to cover the OJ Simpson murder trial. She later went on to become a publicist and established her own public relations agency in 1999. Also, she worked on marketing and PR campaigns for films and television programmes, notably Spy Kids, Shrek 2, The Terminal, Collateral, and several others, through her agency, which serviced the entertainment and lifestyle industry.

 Here’s what…

Ava was the first American woman of African heritage to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. Additionally, she received the Best Director prize at the Sundance Film Festival. She later went on to oversee a film with a whopping budget of over $100 million and direct one that was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Also, she has emerged as the highest-grossing black woman director in American cinema history because of her work. She and Beyoncé were the very first African American women in Primetime Emmy history to garner numerous nominations for directing, thanks to their most recent production When They See Us, which received 16 Emmy nominations.

Let’s dive into the world of Ava DuVernay by reading about her work, her triumphs, her defeats, and a handful of her quotes.

1. “I don’t have big dreams. And I just want to be here in five years, breathing and doing what I love to do. I just need to be free to tell my stories from my spirit, my heart…unrestricted. Life is fleeting. If we could be here doing what we love to do, that would be a success.” – Ava DuVernay

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DuVernay has perfectly worded what she hopes to achieve in life. Her one and only desire are to continue doing what she loves, which is making movies. She realizes that life is incredibly short and that we should utilize whatever time we have on earth to pursue things we actually enjoy. That’s the healthiest approach to living a fulfilling life. Our level of achievement or financial gain has no bearing on how successful we are. The genuine definition of success is following our hearts and doing what we actually cherish.

2. “Figure out what you need to do to be the heroine of your own story.” – Ava DuVernay 

You must have heard the new slang “be the main character”. DuVernay’s quote is pretty much about being the main character of your own life. Prioritizing yourself, your happiness, and your goals are not being selfish or insensitive. Being altruistic or concerned about the well-being of others should not come at the expense of your own happiness. Ava is strongly encouraging everyone to make the most of their lives and figure out what they need to do to make something of themselves. Discover the source of your inspiration, happiness, and drive.

3. “Ignore the glass ceiling and do your work. If you’re focusing on the glass ceiling, focusing on what you don’t have, focusing on the limitations, then you will be limited. My way was to work, make my short… make my documentary… make my small films… use my own money… raise money myself… and stay shooting and focused on each project.” – Ava DuVernay 

Ava never ceases to be candid with the public. She favours pragmatic strategies for achieving any objective. To create her films, Ava had to make do with what she had on hand. She didn’t ask for anyone’s assistance or a sizable chunk of money to begin making films. By utilizing her talents and identifying her flaws, she built a career from scratch. She made use of her innate creative ability and pursued her passions without second thoughts.

4. “I want to be an old lady, with my cane, shouting, ‘Action!’ and ‘Cut!” – Ava DuVernay 

These few words perfectly encapsulate Ava’s unwavering devotion to her one true love—filmmaking. It is truly awe-inspiring to read that she has no intention of giving up doing what she adores. Regardless of her age or the challenges life throws her way, she will always pursue her interests. Her words are worthy of looking up to. It will definitely push you to face the reality of life and to never stop pursuing your passion.

5. “When we’re talking about diversity, it’s not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” – Ava DuVernay 

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In this day and age, when everyone is rushing to integrate diversity into their work to appease the public and escape the wrath of the people, Ava’s ideas should be properly taken into consideration. Token diversity, such as having one person of colour or a member of the LGBTQ+ community, does not constitute diversity. People shouldn’t feel flustered when addressing diversity. It ought to be celebrated. Despite our differences, it is what makes us human and brings us together. These distinctions make us who we are.

6. “When we say there’s a dearth of women directors, it’s not that there’s a lack of women who direct: it’s a lack of opportunities and access for women to direct and be supported in that.” – Ava DuVernay 

Truer words have never been spoken. When people complain and debate how women fail to carry out tasks that men have always been capable of doing, they fail to recognize that it is not because of the ineptitude of women but chiefly because of the limited opportunities and lack of encouragement and support women have had to go through since their birth. The first step in creating an absence of women in a particular field is when women are made to believe that there are certain professions where only men can thrive.

7. “I’m not going to continue knocking on that old door that doesn’t open for me. I am going to create my own door and walk through that.” – Ava DuVernay 

DuVernay has a way with words. She knows how to get the message across with minimal effort. The metaphors she uses are simple yet thoughtful. While steadfast perseverance is a virtue, incessantly chasing an opportunity that is bound to slip through your fingers and yield no result is not a realistic pursuit. When you feel as though you don’t have enough opportunities to accomplish your ambitions, take control of the situation and acknowledge the fact that you are the architect of your own fate and the only one who can create those opportunities for yourself.

8. “I love to see people just being regal in their own skin; it’s just when they know who they are.” – Ava DuVernay 

Ava DuVernay embraces her heritage and treasures her skin colour. She has emphasized the importance of feeling confident in one’s own skin and body and having pride in one’s work on numerous occasions. When people start recognizing and accepting the fact that no skin colour or race is superior to any other and that we should all be proud of our heritage and our culture, it brings about a greater shift in society.

9. “I never had a desire to be a filmmaker. As a child and a teenager and in college, I was not aware of black women making films.” – Ava DuVernay 

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DuVernay, a young black girl who came from modest roots, never imagined becoming a director. She never considered that it was even possible to make movies because there were so few black women who wrote, directed, or produced movies. Now, nonetheless, she acts as an inspiration to all young black women, reminding them that it is possible to dream big and that it is also very much possible to live those dreams.

10. “I didn’t go to film school. I got my education on the set as a niche publicist in the film industry.” – Ava DuVernay 

You must be aware at this point that DuVernay began her journey toward becoming a filmmaker by way of her public relations firm. She was never provided with the opportunity to enrol in a film programme or take an exorbitant course to learn how to become a successful filmmaker. She made the most of the opportunity she was given by harnessing its power to begin her filmmaking career.

DuVernay always had a profound appreciation, connection, and love for films. It was her aunt, Denise, who nurtured her love of films and ingenuity when she was a young girl. In order for DuVernay to pursue her devotion to art, literature, and films during the day, her aunt, a nurse, worked the night shift. She fell in love with films thanks to her aunt, who also encouraged her to pursue a career in the film industry by playing her in the 1961 classic West Side Story.

When They See Us

A four-part true crime miniseries entitled “When They See Us” was distributed on Netflix in 2019. Ava DuVernay co-wrote the script and served as the director. It is one of the most thought-provoking, moving, and eye-opening pieces of work that has been able to ignite a spark and initiate a conversation about false accusations against people of colour and eventual false convictions. 

It is based on the events of the 1989 Central Park Jogger Case and recounts the lives and families of the five young Black and Latino male suspects who were wrongfully accused and subsequently convicted on allegations linked to the physical and sexual abuse of a white woman in Central Park, New York City, in 1989.

What’s more…

The prosecutor divided the five young men of colour who served as the series’ main characters into two groups for the court hearing: Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana, respectively, played by Asante Black, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Jharrel Jerome, and Marquis Rodriguez. Juries found each juvenile guilty of a number of offences relating to the attack; four were also found guilty of rape.

And there’s this too…

Except for Korey Wise(who was not a minor at the time of the hearing), all were given the maximum sentences allowed for minors. He had to do his time in prison and had been placed in several institutions. Moreover, they sought damages for false imprisonment against the city in 2003, and in 2014 they won a settlement.

On June 12, 2019, Oprah Winfrey Presents When They See Us Now, a sequel program. It was aired on Netflix and the Oprah Winfrey Network. It is comprised of interviews with the actors, the director, and the five absolved men.

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